acanthosis

1 9.9

A non-cancerous thickening of the skin that makes patches dark and velvety

noun
/əˌkænˈθoʊsɪs/

Specialized

: acantosis

Treatment for acanthosis includes managing underlying conditions like insulin resistance.
a condition called acanthosis

Examples

People with acanthosis may notice darker patches of skin on their neck or elbows.
If you suffer from eczema, psoriasis, acne, acanthosis nigricans, keratosis, Polaris, the list goes on and on and on.
A condition called acanthosis is often associated with diabetes and can cause thickened skin in body folds.

Antonyms

to atrophy

Specialized

9 7.8

To become smaller and weaker, especially muscles, from not being used

Compounds

acanthosis nigricans

Specialized

1 9.6

Dark, thick, velvety patches on the skin that appear in body folds like the neck or armpits

Surface Forms

acanthosis singular

acanthoses plural

Morphology

acanthosis = acanth (opaque) = acanth + osis

The base 'acanth' is not a standalone English word and the meaning of the whole is not transparent to general learners.

Etymology

Acanthosis comes from the Greek parts acanth- meaning 'thorn' and -osis meaning 'a condition'. So acanthosis is a non-cancerous skin condition where a layer becomes thicker and may look a little 'spiky', which helps you remember the 'thorn' root.