phthisic

[tiz-ik, thiz-]

noun

1. a wasting disease of the lungs; phthisis.

2. asthma.

3. a person with phthisis.

adjective

1. pertaining to phthisis; phthisical.

phthisic

/ ˈθaɪsɪk, ˈtaɪsɪk, ˈfθaɪsɪk /

adjective

1. relating to or affected with phthisis

noun

1. another name for asthma

Other Word Forms

• phthisical adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of phthisic¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English tisik(e), ptisik(e), from Old French tisique, thesique “consumptive,” from Medieval Latin ptisicus, tisicus, from Latin phthisicus “consumptive; a consumptive” (adejctive and noun), from Greek phthisikós “consumptive” (adjective); phthisis, -ic

Word History and Origins

Origin of phthisic¹

C14: from Old French tisike, from Latin phthisicus, from Greek phthisikos; see _phthisis

Example Sentences

Volutes, asportation, imbricated, Mnemosyne and phthisic are a few of the others.

From Washington Post

Come, now, wasn't my picture of the phthisic wife and moaning child worth a place on the line—I mean, wasn't it good, eh?

From Project Gutenberg

Our boys seeing any members of the defeated school would use their two palms for a trumpet and shout the pivotal word, on which our victory turned, "Phthisic."

From Project Gutenberg

Yes, there's considerable of ager and phthisic and bilious fever.

From Project Gutenberg

"How far is it to the Smith farm?" and "How do you spell phthisic?"

From Time Magazine Archive