A.Word.A.Day --iatrogenic

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Jul 9, 2008

This week's theme
Words made using combining forms.

This week's words
orthography
coprolite
iatrogenic
misoneism
callipygian

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A.Word.A.Day

with Anu Garg

iatrogenic

PRONUNCIATION:

(eye-at-ruh-JEN-ik)

MEANING:

adjective: Caused inadvertently by medical treatment, such as an infection or a complication.

ETYMOLOGY:

From iatro- (healer, medicine), from Greek iatros (healer) + -genic (producing).

USAGE:

"ICU care, provided to the most frail and sick patients, often results in the worst iatrogenic injuries."
Sandeep Jauhar, MD; First, Do No Harm; The New York Times; Aug 10, 1999.

See more usage examples of iatrogenic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

To delight in war is a merit in the soldier, a dangerous quality in the captain, and a positive crime in the statesman. -George Santayana, philosopher (1863-1952)

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