arthritis

‖n. [ L., fr. Gr. 'arqri^tis (as if fem. of 'arqri`tis belonging to the joints, sc. no`sos disease) gout, fr. 'a`rqron a joint. ] (Med.) Any inflammation of the joints, including the gout. A variety of forms of arthritis are recognized, some of which (such as rheumatoid arthritis, also called arthritis deformans and arthritis nodosa) are chronic and progressive, and lead to incapacitation and deformity. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]