Cyst Comes From the Greek for a Bladder
A cyst is a closed sac in the body. The Greek word behind it named any pouch or bag.
A cyst is a closed sac in the body containing fluid or semi-solid material. Greek *kystis* meant a bladder or pouch, and the medical word keeps exactly that sense: a cyst is a bag with a wall of its own, which is what distinguishes it from a simple swelling. Most are harmless. The same root gives *cystitis*, inflammation of the bladder, and biology uses *cyst* for the protective capsule some single-celled organisms form to survive drought.
- A closed sac. *A skin cyst.*
- A dormant capsule. *A protozoan cyst.*
- Cystitis — bladder inflammation. *Cystitis.*
- Cystic — of a cyst. *Cystic.*
- Greek — *kystis*, a bladder. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | cyst | A cyst. |
| Plural | cysts | Cysts. |
| Adjective | cystic | Cystic. |
| Related | cystitis | Cystitis. |
| Greek | kystis | A bladder. |
- The cyst was harmless.Medicine.
- Some microbes form cysts.Biology.
- Kystis means a bladder.Etymology.
Greek medical roots
- Cyst — from *kystis*, a bladder
- Oedema — from *oidema*, a swelling
- Sclerosis — from *skleros*, hard
- Necrosis — from *nekros*, dead
- Stasis — from *stasis*, a standing still
Greek *kystis*, a bladder, bag or pouch, through modern Latin *cystis*.
What makes a cyst different from a swelling?
A cyst has a wall of its own, forming a closed sac. A swelling is simply tissue that has enlarged.
Why do microbes form cysts?
As a protective capsule that lets a single-celled organism survive drought, cold or lack of food until conditions improve.