malacia

[ muh-ley-shuh, -shee-uh, -see-uh ]

noun

, Pathology.

1. softening, or loss of consistency, of an organ or tissue.
2. an abnormal craving for highly spiced food.

malacia

/ məˈleɪʃɪə /

noun

1. the pathological softening of an organ or tissue, such as bone

Other Words From

• mal·a·coid [mal, -, uh, -koid], adjective
• mal·a·cot·ic [mal-, uh, -, kot, -ik], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of malacia¹

1650–60; < New Latin < Greek malakía softness, tenderness, weakness. See malaco-, -ia

Example Sentences

Maisie, who featured in BBC2's Great Ormond Street series last year, also has malacia of the airways, so her airways are floppy like the top of a balloon and do not hold their shape properly.

From BBC