Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
malacia

malacia

9.9
Softening of body tissue that makes it weak
  • noun
  • /məˈleɪʃə/
  • Specialized
: malacia
  • The patient was diagnosed with malacia after tests revealed softening of the cartilage.

Examples

  • Laryngomalacia is a specific type of malacia affecting the larynx in infants.

  • Several diseases can cause malacia in different tissues of the body.

  • The doctor diagnosed him with malacia in his bones.

  • The symptoms of malacia can vary significantly.

  • Laryngomalacia is a specific type of malacia affecting the larynx in infants.

  • The patient was diagnosed with malacia after tests revealed softening of the cartilage.

  • Several diseases can cause malacia in different tissues of the body.

Surface Forms

malacia singular
malacias plural

Morphology

malacia = malac + ia

The element 'malac' is a bound Greek combining form meaning 'soft' used in medical compounds; it is not a standalone English word and the meaning is not guessable for an average B1 learner.

Etymology

The word malacia comes from the Greek word malakos, which means 'soft'. In medicine the part -malacia appears in words like laryngomalacia and osteomalacia to show 'softening' of tissue, so today malacia means a condition of unusual softening in the body.