diarrhea

Meaning

1. A gastrointestinal disorder characterized by frequent and very soft or watery bowel movements.
2. The watery or very soft excrement that comes from such bowel movements.

Synonyms

diarrhoea

dysentery

diarrhoea

loose bowels

looseness

looseness of the bowels

sore

sprue

stomach ache

diarrhoetic

have diarrhea

skitter

the shits

abdominal chills

scours

food poisoning

a deficiency disease

back-door trot

laxity

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˌdaɪ.əˈɹiː.ə/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: diaria

Cognate with French: diarrhée

In summary

From Middle English diaria, from Middle French diarrie (French diarrhée), from Late Latin diarrhoea, from Ancient Greek διάρροια (diárrhoia, “through-flowing”), from διά (diá, “through”) + ῥέω (rhéō, “flow”). By surface analysis, dia- + -rrhea. Spelling later altered to resemble the word's Latin and Greek roots.
Displaced native Old English ūtsiht (literally “straining out”).