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Glite Dictionary
🌡️ Letting heat pass ⚡ Heating with electricity
diathermic

diathermic

9.6
Heating body tissues with electric currents for medical treatment
  • adjective
  • /ˌdaɪəˈθɜrmɪk/
  • Specialized
translation icon : diatérmico
  • The surgeon used a diathermic instrument to stop the bleeding during the operation.

Examples

  • Modern physiotherapy clinics often use diathermic devices for therapeutic heating.

  • A diathermic treatment can help relieve deep muscle pain in some patients.

  • The diathermic treatment helped relieve her muscle pain.

  • He underwent a diathermic procedure for his injury.

  • The doctor recommended a diathermic therapy to improve circulation in her injured leg.

  • During the session, the therapist explained how diathermic techniques can help with pain relief.

  • They used a diathermic device to enhance the healing process after the surgery.

Synonyms

electrothermal
vsdiathermic
  • Specialized
1 7.8

Relating to how electricity makes or controls heat

is specific to heating body tissues using high frequency electric currents
thermogenic
vsdiathermic
  • Specialized
1 7.4

To make the body produce more heat

is heating of body tissues caused by high frequency electric currents not internal metabolism

Surface Forms

diathermic positive

Morphology

diathermic = thermic (semi-transparent) = dia + therm + ic

Same morphological composition as sense 1, but the medical meaning (diathermy/producing heat in tissues via currents) is a specialised sense that is not directly inferable by general learners.

Etymology

Diathermic comes from Greek parts dia- meaning 'through' and therm- meaning 'heat'. In medicine, a diathermic device sends heat 'through' body tissue, often by electric currents, to stop bleeding or ease deep pain, so the name fits this heating use.