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rhumatisme

rheumatism

noun rü-mah-TEES-muh Rare

Origin: Greek rheuma (flow), from the ancient belief that fluid caused joint pain

Usage Note

Rhumatisme refers broadly to painful conditions affecting joints and muscles; in medicine, les rhumatismes (plural) covers conditions such as arthritis. The adjective rhumatismal(e) and the related noun rhumatologie (rheumatology) share the same root. Damp weather is popularly — though not scientifically — linked to flare-ups in French conversation.

Examples

"Sa grand-mère souffre de rhumatisme."

Natural Translation

His grandmother suffers from rheumatism.

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