diabetes insipidus

noun

diabetes in·​sip·​i·​dus -in-ˈsi-pə-dəs How to pronounce diabetes insipidus (audio)
: a disorder of the pituitary gland characterized by intense thirst and by the excretion of large amounts of urine

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin diabētēs insipidus, literally, "bland diabetes," referring to the lack of sweetness in the urine

Note: Term introduced, along with diabētēs mellītus, by the Scottish physician William Cullen (1710-90) in Synopsis nosologiæ methodicæ, editio tertia, tomus II (Edinburgh, 1780), pp. 244-45.

First Known Use

1788, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of diabetes insipidus was in 1788

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Diabetes insipidus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diabetes%20insipidus. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.

Medical Definition

diabetes insipidus

noun
diabetes in·​sip·​i·​dus -in-ˈsip-əd-əs How to pronounce diabetes insipidus (audio)
: a disorder that is caused by insufficient secretion of vasopressin by the pituitary gland or by a failure of the kidneys to respond to circulating vasopressin and that is characterized by intense thirst and by the excretion of large amounts of urine
But there is another type of diabetes—known as diabetes insipidus. In this rare disease, the kidneys can't hold on to the water the body needs. The urine is insipid—so diluted it looks, smells and tastes just like water.Lisa Sanders, The New York Times Magazine
see central diabetes insipidus, nephrogenic diabetes insipidus

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