Meningitis

Meningitis

Noun · /ˌmɛn.ɪnˈdʒaɪ.tɪs/

Definition

Inflammation of the meninges — the three membranes (dura mater, arachnoid mater, and pia mater) that envelop the brain and spinal cord; typically caused by bacterial or viral infection; a serious medical emergency especially in its bacterial form.

Origin

From Modern Latin meningitis, from Greek mēnigx (membrane, particularly the brain membrane) + -itis (the standard medical suffix indicating inflammation). The meninges — the membranes covering the brain — take their name from the Greek word for membrane. The condition was first clearly described in medical literature in the early 19th century, with bacterial meningitis being identified as a distinct condition in the 1880s.