"morbid absorption of bone, so that it becomes abnormally porous," 1846, from osteo- "bone" + Greek poros "passage; pore; voyage" (see pore (n.)) + -osis. Related: Osteoporotic.
Entries linking to osteoporosis
osteo-
before vowels oste-, word-forming element meaning "bone, bones," from Greek osteon "bone," from PIE root *ost- "bone."
pore n.
late 14c., "minute opening, small orifice, or perforation" in the earth, a tree, the body of a human, animal, or insect, a bone, etc.," from Old French pore (14c.) and directly from Latin porus "a pore," from Greek poros "a pore," literally "passage, way," from PIE *poro- "passage, journey," suffixed form of PIE root *per- (2) "to lead, pass over."
-osis
word-forming element expressing state or condition, in medical terminology denoting "a state of disease," from Latin -osis and directly from Greek -osis, formed from the aorist of verbs ending in -o. It corresponds to Latin -atio.