"inflammation of the nose," especially the mucous membrane, 1829, medical Latin, from rhino- "nose" + -itis "inflammation."
Entries linking to rhinitis
rhino-
before vowels rhin-, word-forming element of Greek origin meaning "nose, of the nose," from Greek rhino-, combining form of rhis "nose," which is of uncertain origin.
-itis
word-forming element in medicine denoting "diseases characterized by inflammation" (of the specified part), Modern Latin, from Greek -itis, feminine of adjectival suffix -ites "pertaining to." Feminine because it was used with an implied nosos "disease," a feminine noun; especially in arthritis (nosos) "(disease) of the joints." Arthritis (16c.) was one of the earliest appearances of the suffix in English and from it the suffix was abstracted in other uses.