rheumatism

First attested 1601, from Latin rheumatismus (“rheum”), from Ancient Greek ῥευματισμός (rheumatismós, “humour, discharge, rheum”) from ῥευματίζομαι (rheumatízomai, “I suffer from a rheum”) from ῥεῦμα (rheûma, “stream, flow”) from ῥέω (rhéō, “I flow”)

• IPA^(key): /ˈɹu.məˌtɪz.əm/
• (US, dialectal, obsolete) IPA^(key): /ˈɹu.məˌtɪz/[1]

rheumatism (countable and uncountable, plural rheumatisms)

1. (pathology) Any disorder of the muscles, tendons, joints, bones, nerves, characterized by pain, discomfort and disability.
   • 1874, Wilkie Collins, The Dead Alive:

     The old man had become a confirmed invalid, confined by chronic rheumatism to his chair.

2. (pathology) atrophic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis

• Mithraeums