consumptive

[ kuhn-suhmp-tiv ]

adjective

1. tending to consume; destructive; wasteful.
2. relating to consumption by use.
3. Pathology.
   1. relating to or of the nature of consumption.
   2. disposed to or affected with consumption.

noun

1. Older Use. a person with tuberculosis.

consumptive

/ kənˈsʌmptɪv /

adjective

1. causing consumption; wasteful; destructive
2. pathol relating to or affected with consumption, esp tuberculosis of the lungs

noun

1. pathol a person who suffers from consumption

Derived Forms

• conˈsumptiveness, noun
• conˈsumptively, adverb

Other Words From

• con·sump·tive·ly adverb
• con·sump·tive·ness noun
• non·con·sump·tive adjective
• non·con·sump·tive·ly adverb
• non·con·sump·tive·ness noun
• un·con·sump·tive adjective
• un·con·sump·tive·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of consumptive¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; Middle English adjective and noun consumptif “eliminating or reducing morbid humors or tissue; an agent that eliminates or reduces morbid humors or tissue,” from Medieval Latin consūmptīvum, noun use of adjective consūmptīvus “wasteful, destructive; suffering from pulmonary consumption”; consumption, -ive

Example Sentences

The middle class became more conspicuously consumptive than ever before.

From The Daily Beast

Watching it in public, on the other hand, exposes these films as just another method of molding of our consumptive urges.

From The Daily Beast

The owner—the Consumptive, I call him, as his night work has damaged his lungs—grew very friendly one day, and confidential.

From Project Gutenberg

The Consumptive is, as I have said, a man of great resource; but he has for once been within a hair's breadth of disaster.

From Project Gutenberg

The consumptive bends over his work, fearfully eyeing the keeper's measuring stick.

From Project Gutenberg

Hippocrates pointed out as one of the symptoms of consumption the spes phthisical or consumptive hope.

From Project Gutenberg

It was made up of a consumptive wife, a young husband and one or two children.

From Project Gutenberg