path-, patho-, -path-, -pathia, -pathic, -pathology, -pathetic, -pathize, -pathy

(Greek: feeling, sensation, perception; suffering, disease, or disorder; a system of treating diseases)

In medicine, some of these elements usually mean "someone who suffers from a disease of, or one who treats a disease"; so, they should not be confused with the words that mean "feeling" which are also shown on these pages even though both meanings come from the same Greek element.

pathologist (s) (noun), pathologists (pl)
A medical doctor who specializes in identifying diseases by studying cells and tissues under a microscope: A pathologist is an expert who strives to determine the essential nature of diseases, especially of the changes in body tissues and organs that cause or are caused by diseases.
pathology (s) (noun), pathologies (pl)
The study of the nature of diseases with regard to structural and functional changes: Pathology is the branch of medical science that deals with the origin, nature, and course of diseases.

Pathology was originally the study of “suffering”.

patholopolis (s) (noun), patholopolises; patholopoleis; patholopoles; patholopoli; patholopolizes (pl)
A diseased or morally degenerate city: The book Sam was reading was about a patholopolis in the Middle Ages which was totally corrupt and debauched in addition to severe illnesses on the rage among the people.
pathomania (s) (noun) (no pl)
A morbid perversion of the natural feelings, affections, inclinations, and natural impulses without any remarkable disorder of the intellect: In the story Mary was reading, the main character was in a state of pathomania with such symptoms as madness and moral insanity.
pathomaniac (s) (noun), pathomaniacs (pl)
A person who inclines towards immorality and perversion: Sam was a pathomaniac whom everybody in town avoided because of his corrupt and demoraozing character.
pathomeiosis (s) (noun), pathomeioses (pl)
The tendency to belittle the importance of one's disease or disorder: Old Mrs. Todd's acquaintances though that she suffered from pathomeiosis, because she thought they just didn't talk loud enough for her to hear what they were saying, and was sure she was not hard of hearing!
pathometer (s) (noun), pathometers (pl)
1. An apparatus for recording a body's electrical impulses: In the story a pathometer, or a lie detector, was used when the thief was interrogated.
2. A device that records the distance traveled by a vehicle: A pathometer indicates, in addition to the stretch of road a car travels, the direction or movement and the altitudes which are attained or descended.
3. An instrument designed to register the incidents of diseases in a specified locality: The mayor thought it would be a good idea to have a pathometer to record the number of incidences of the flu that was suddenly increasing in town.
pathometry (s) (noun) (no pl)
A measurement of misery, pain, or distress: Now considered obsolete, Sir Ronald Ross' term of pathometry was used for the quantitative study of parasitic invasion and infection in individuals or groups of individuals.

Pathometry includes the awareness, identification, and also the nature and cause of various types of suffering.

pathomimesis (s) (noun), pathomimeses (pl)
The mimicry of the symptoms of an illness or injury: Some students try deliberately to imitate the signs of being sick, known as pathomimesis, in order to achieve a desired objective, like staying home from school.
pathomimicry (s) (noun), pathomimicries (pl)
The feigning or the faking of a disease or disorder: Pathomimicry was one of the methods Jack used in order to malinger, or to skip school, on exam days.
pathomorphism (s) (noun), pathomorphisms (pl)
Abnormal morphology of an organism or organ: In her medical class, Peggy viewed the pathomorphism of the unusual and bizarre forms and structures of the internal organs of the dead body.
pathoneurosis (s) (noun), pathoneuroses (pl)
In psychoanalysis, a neurosis that is centered around a morbid preoccupation with a diseased organ: Pathoneurosis can develop into hysterical symptoms and obsessions regarding a chronic process of an ailment.
pathonomia, pathonomy (s) (noun) (no pl)
An obsolete term for the sum of knowledge regarding the laws of diseases: Pathonomia or pathonomy is the science or study of the guidelines or principles regarding the changes of infections in illnesses.
pathophilia (s) (noun), pathophilias (pl)
1. The acceptance and adjustment of a disease: Pathophilia is the changeof habits to conditions made mandatory by some chronic disease.
2. An excessive, abnormal desire to be sick; nosophilia: When Ruth was little, she suffered from pathophilia, whereby, in certain situations, she wanted to become ill although she had no ailments.
pathophobia (s) (noun), pathophobias (pl)
A horror of getting any kind of a disease: Thomas decided to try to keep as many viruses and germs out of his home as possible, and therefore he washed his hands quite often every day, did the laundry, vacuumed, and mopped the floors every day, and his friends thought he had pathophobia for sure!

Quiz You can find self-scoring quizzes over many of the words in this subject area by going to this Vocabulary Quizzes page.