"mucous discharge from the nose," 1851, also rhinorrhoea, from rhino- "nose" + Greek rhoia "flow" (from PIE root *sreu- "to flow"). Attested in the 1840s in German, Italian, and French. Related: Rhinorhheal.
Entries linking to rhinorrhea
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.
*sreu-
Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to flow."
It forms all or part of: amenorrhea; catarrh; diarrhea; gonorrhea; hemorrhoids; maelstrom; rheo-; rheology; rheostat; rheum; rheumatic; rheumatism; rheumatoid; rhinorrhea; rhythm; seborrhea; stream.
It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit sravati "flows," srotah "stream;" Avestan thraotah- "stream, river," Old Persian rauta "river;" Greek rhein "to flow," rheos "a flowing, stream," rhythmos "rhythm," rhytos "fluid, liquid;" Old Irish sruaim, Irish sruth "stream, river;" Welsh ffrwd "stream;" Old Norse straumr, Old English stream; Lettish strauma "stream, river;" Lithuanian sravėti "to trickle, ooze;" Old Church Slavonic struja "river," o-strovu "island," literally "that which is surrounded by a river;" Polish strumień "brook."