diagnosis
(daɪəgˈnəʊsɪs)
Pl. -oses.
[a. L. diagnōsis, Gr. διάγνωσις, n. of action f. διαγιγνώσκειν to distinguish, discern, f. δια- through, thoroughly, asunder + γιγνώσκειν to learn to know, perceive. In F. diagnose in Molière: cf. prec.]
1. a. Med. Determination of the nature of a diseased condition; identification of a disease by careful investigation of its symptoms and history; also, the opinion (formally stated) resulting from such investigation.
| 1681 tr. Willis' Rem. Med. Wks. Vocab., Diagnosis, dilucidation, or knowledg. 1791 P. P. Price (title) A Treatise on the Diagnosis and Prognosis of Disease. 1834 J. Forbes Lænnec's Dis. Chest (ed. 4) 199 It is in the diagnosis..of pneumonia..that the greatest practical benefit of auscultation will be found. 1855 O. W. Holmes Poems 274 The diagnosis was made out, They tapped the patient; so he died. 1872 Baker Nile Tribut. i. 8 The crows can form a pretty correct diagnosis upon the case of a sick camel. 1878 H. S. Wilson Alp. Ascents iv. 132 Then came the diagnosis—to wit a severe contusion and strain of right knee. |
b. transf. and fig.
| 1855 H. Spencer Princ. Psychol. (1872) II. vi. xviii. 253 Perception is essentially a diagnosis. 1868 G. Duff Pol. Surv. 113 Our diagnosis of the character of a person. 1892 Spectator 1 Oct. 438/1 [Swindlers] seem to possess, in an extraordinarily high degree, the power of moral diagnosis,—of telling what are the weak spots in the mind of the ordinary man. |
2. Biol. etc. Distinctive characterization in precise terms, (of a genus, species, etc.).
| 1840 W. Whewell Phil. Inductive Sci. I. viii. ii. 492 The Characteristick has been termed by some English Botanists the Diagnosis of plants; a word which we may conveniently adopt. 1853 J. Lindley Veget. Kingd. 371 Tiliaceæ, Linden⁓blooms..Diagnosis.—Malval Exogens, with free stamens on the outside of a disk, albuminous seeds, and straight embryo. 1854 Badham Halieut. 235 Specimens..in a fit condition for diagnosis. 1858 Whewell Nov. Org. Renov. 23 The Diagnosis, or Scheme of the Characters, comes, in the order of philosophy, after the Classification. 1874 Jevons Prin. Science (1877) 708 This operation of discovering to which class of a system a certain specimen or case belongs, is generally called Diagnosis. 1880 Gunther Fishes 10 The ‘Genera Piscium’ contains well-defined diagnoses of 45 genera. |