1. A wasting disease of the lungs, especially tuberculosis; consumption.
Usage: archaic or medical; from Greek phthisis meaning 'a wasting away'

Examples

• In the 19th century, phthisis was one of the leading causes of death in Europe and America.
• The physician diagnosed the patient with phthisis after observing the characteristic symptoms.
• Phthisis claimed the lives of many young people before modern antibiotics were developed.
• The sanatorium was built to treat patients suffering from phthisis.
• Medical texts from the 1800s frequently discussed the treatment of phthisis.