adjective

mellitus

MEL-ih-tuss

Mellitus (adjective) means used in the medical term diabetes mellitus to distinguish the sugar-related disease from diabetes insipidus, referring to the sweet, sugary urine that characterises it. Example: “He was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus at forty-three.”

adjective

medical Used in the medical term diabetes mellitus to distinguish the sugar-related disease from diabetes insipidus, referring to the sweet, sugary urine that characterises it.

"He was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus at forty-three."

"The chart records diabetes mellitus rather than the far rarer insipidus form."

How to Use Mellitus

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe word doctors add to 'diabetes' to mean the ordinary blood-sugar kind.

When to use it

Strictly medical; it never appears on its own outside the phrase diabetes mellitus.

Memory tip

Stress the first syllable: MEL-ih-tuss, not muh-LIE-tuss.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

insipidus mellifluous

Common pairings

diabetes mellitus type 1 diabetes mellitus gestational diabetes mellitus

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

He was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes _____ at forty-three.

Etymology

From Latin mellitus 'sweetened with honey', from mel 'honey'.

Origin: Latin

Rhymes for mellitus

Titus coitus emeritus spiritus

See all rhymes for mellitus →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between diabetes mellitus and diabetes insipidus?

Diabetes mellitus is the common condition in which blood sugar is too high because the body lacks insulin or cannot use it properly. Diabetes insipidus is unrelated to sugar: it involves the hormone that controls water balance, causing huge thirst and dilute urine.

Why is diabetes called mellitus?

Mellitus is Latin for 'honeyed'. Before laboratory tests, physicians identified the disease by the sweetness of the patient's urine, which is loaded with unused sugar.