pseudocyesis

1 9.9

A health problem where a woman shows signs of pregnancy but is not pregnant

noun
/ˌsuːdoʊˈsaɪəsɪs/

Specialized

: pseudociesis

Cases of pseudocyesis can include weight gain, missed periods, and even a sensation of fetal movement.

Examples

After several tests, the rare diagnosis of pseudocyesis was confirmed by the medical team.
The doctor explained that her symptoms were due to pseudocyesis, not actual pregnancy.
She was diagnosed with pseudocyesis after experiencing unusual symptoms.
Many people are unaware of pseudocyesis as a medical condition.
The doctor explained that her symptoms were due to pseudocyesis, indicating she believed she was pregnant without being so.
After many tests, they confirmed the woman was experiencing pseudocyesis, which caused her to show all the signs of pregnancy.
In some rare instances, pseudocyesis can lead a woman to feel fetal movement even when there is no pregnancy.

Synonyms

false pregnancy

vspseudocyesis

Specialized

1 5.6

A condition when a woman shows signs like missed periods and feeling sick but no baby inside

is the formal medical term for the same condition

Surface Forms

pseudocyesis singular

pseudocyeses plural

Morphology

pseudocyesis = cyesis (opaque) = pseudo + cyesis

The form is built with the recognizable prefix pseudo- plus the medical base cyesis, but the base is too obscure for an average learner to infer the meaning.

Etymology

Pseudocyesis comes from the Greek parts pseudo- meaning 'false' and -cyesis meaning 'pregnancy', so it means 'false pregnancy'. That's why pseudocyesis is used for a condition when someone shows signs of pregnancy even though they are not actually pregnant.