1908, from German atherosklerose (1904), coined by German pathologist Felix Jacob Marchand; see atheroma + sclerosis.
Entries linking to atherosclerosis
atheroma n.
"encysted tumor," 1706, medical Latin, from Greek atheroma, from athērē "groats, porridge," in reference to the matter inside; a word of unknown origin. It is sometimes said to be perhaps related to athēr "chaff," but Beekes finds this "neither formally nor semantically plausible." Pliny calls it an Egyptian word. For the ending, see -oma. Related: Athermatous (1670s).
sclerosis n.
"a hardening," especially "morbid hardening of the tissue," late 14c., from Medieval Latin sclerosis "a hardness, hard tumor," from Greek sklērosis "hardening," from sklēros "hard" (see sclero-). Figurative use, "excessive resistance to change," is by 1954.