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hypostasis

hypostasis

9.9
Blood that collects in a body part after death and makes the skin look purple
  • noun
  • /haɪˈpɒstəsɪs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : lividez
  • The medical examiner noted hypostasis during the autopsy, indicating that the body had been in one position for some time.

Examples

  • After death, hypostasis causes the skin to appear darker in the areas where blood has pooled.

  • Hypostasis can often be observed as a sign of the postmortem process, with specific areas of the body showing significant discoloration.

  • Lividity and hypostasis follow immediately.

Synonyms

lividity
vshypostasis
  • Specialized
12 9.9

A dark color of the skin after death caused by blood collecting in the lower body

is a blood buildup in any organ or body part, not only lower areas
livor
vshypostasis
  • Specialized
1 9.9

Bluish-purple color of the skin caused by blood pooling under the skin after death or injury

describes blood collecting in organs or parts, not limited to skin cases

Compounds

The union of God's nature and human nature in the one person of Jesus Christ

Surface Forms

hypostasis singular
hypostases plural

Morphology

hypostasis = stasis (opaque) = hypo + stasis

The medical sense is a technical borrowing whose meaning is not obvious from the parts for an average learner, even if the historical structure is present.

Etymology

Hypostasis comes from the Greek parts hypo- 'under' and stasis 'standing', so think of something 'standing' or settling below, like the English word 'stand'. In medicine it names the blood that settles after death and makes dark patches where the blood has 'stood'.