‖ meningitis Path.
(mɛnɪnˈdʒaɪtɪs)
[mod. L., f. mēning- meninx + -itis.]
Inflammation of the membranes of the brain or spinal cord.
| 1828 Abercrombie Dis. Brain 51 To prevent circumlocution, I shall employ the term Meningitis to express the disease, meaning thereby the inflammation of the arachnoid, or pia mater, or both, as distinct from inflammation of the dura mater. 1899 Allbutt's Syst. Med. VII. 546 In most cases not due to injury meningitis..is caused by an invasion of micro-organisms. |
Hence meninˈgitiform a. [-form], meninˈgitophobia [-phobia], see quots.
| 1890 Billings Nat. Med. Dict. II. 133 Meningitophobia,..symptoms of cerebro-spinal meningitis produced from fear of the disease. c 1893 F. P. Foster Illustr. Med. Dict. III. 2276 Meningitiform,..resembling meningitis. |