🦴 Stiff or fused 🦴 To stiffen

ankylosing

9.9

Having bones or joints that become stiff and stick together

adjective
/ˌæŋkɪˈloʊsɪŋ/

Specialized

: anquilosante

Doctors diagnosed her with ankylosing spondylitis.

Examples

The patient's ankylosing joints caused significant pain.
The doctor explained that ankylosing joints can severely limit movement.
Early treatment can help prevent ankylosing of the affected bones.
The patient was diagnosed with a condition causing ankylosing of the spine.
The patient was diagnosed with a condition causing ankylosing of the spine.
Early treatment can help prevent ankylosing of the affected bones.
The doctor explained that ankylosing joints can severely limit movement.

Synonyms

ankylotic

vsankylosing

Specialized

9.9

Having very stiff joints joined so they do not move well

describes bones or joints that have become stiff or fused

Compounds

ankylosing spondylitis

Specialized

1 7.5

A long illness that makes the spine stiff and painful and can make its bones join together

How Stiff

ankylosing

Specialized

9.9

rigid

35 4.0

stiff

127 1.7

mobile

81 2.7

Surface Forms

ankylosing positive

Morphology

ankylosing = ankylose (opaque) = ankyl + ose + ing

The combining form 'ankyl-' and the verb 'ankylose' are technical/rare; learners cannot reliably infer the meaning from components.

Etymology

Ankylosing comes from the Greek root ankyl- which means 'bent' or 'fused'. Think of bones or joints as if they were 'glued' or 'locked' together and cannot move easily, which is exactly what the adjective describes.