Xerosis is the medical term for abnormal skin dryness or loss of moisture. It denotes conditions where the skin becomes rough, cracked, or flaky due to insufficient hydration or impaired barrier function. In clinical use, xerosis can refer to dry skin on any part of the body and is often managed with emollients and barrier creams.
"The patient presented with severe xerosis on the hands and forearms, accompanied by mild itching."
"Chronic xerosis may lead to fissures that increase infection risk and discomfort."
"Dry winter air can exacerbate xerosis, especially in older adults."
"Dermatologists recommend regular moisturizers to prevent xerosis from worsening."
Xerosis derives from the Greek xeros, meaning dry, combined with -osis, a suffix indicating a medical condition or process. The term entered medical vocabulary to describe abnormal dryness of skin or mucous membranes. Historically, clinicians used dry skin descriptors long before standardized terms; xerosis appears in dermatology texts from the late 19th to early 20th century as an explicit condition distinct from dehydration, eczema, or dermatitis. The concept expanded to include xerosis of mucosa (xerostomia for mouth dryness is related etymologically but distinct), and later gained attention in geriatric and dermocosmetic contexts with emphasis on barrier repair. First known usage appears in medical corpora around the 1800s, with consistent usage by 1900s in dermatology to document dry, scaly skin conditions. The term’s precision increased as understanding of skin barrier biology evolved, connecting xerosis to transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and stratum corneum integrity. Modern usage retains the core meaning of abnormal dryness, though contemporary contexts also discuss xerotic changes in chronic disease states and climate-related skin care strategies.
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Words that rhyme with "Xerosis"
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Xerosis is pronounced zhair-OH-sis, with the primary stress on the second syllable. IPA: US ˌzɪəˈroʊsɪs; UK ˌzɪəˈrəʊsɪs; AU ˌzɪəˈrəʊsɪs. Start with a voiced alveolar affricate-like focus on the first syllable as in "ze" with a light schwa, then glide into a long /oʊ/ or /əʊ/ for the second syllable, and finish with a light /sɪs/.
Common errors: 1) stressing the first syllable (Xe-), instead of the second (xe-RO-sis). 2) pronouncing the second syllable with a short /ɪ/ as in 'pets' rather than a long /oʊ/ or /əʊ/ sound. 3) converting the initial cluster into a hard 'x' sound; instead treat it as /zɪə/ or /zɪə/. Correct by using a clear /ˈzɪəˈroʊsɪs/ pattern and elongating the /oʊ/ vowel.
In US English, you’ll hear /ˌzɪəˈroʊsɪs/ with rhoticity; the /roʊ/ is a clear long O. In UK English, /ˌzɪəˈrəʊsɪs/ features a non-rhotic r, and the second syllable’s vowel leans toward /əʊ/. Australian tends to /ˌzɪəˈrəʊsɪs/ similar to UK, with a slightly broader vowel and less pronounced r-lessness depending on speaker. Emphasize second syllable stress in all three, but vowel qualities shift subtly.
Two main challenges: a) the initial /z/ after the /ˈzɪə/ sequence can be tricky when the vowel is a diphthong; b) the /roʊ/ vs /rəʊ/ in US vs UK/AU; the second syllable carries the primary stress and long vowel, which you must hold while articulating /sɪs/ at the end. Practice linking /zɪə/ into /ˈroʊ/ or /ˈrəʊ/ and keep the final /sɪs/ crisp.
Is there a silent letter or unusual syllable in Xerosis? Not silent letters; all syllables are pronounced. The trick is the long vowel in syllable two and the /sɪs/ ending; ensure the second syllable stress and the /oʊ/ or /əʊ/ vowel are clearly prolonged before the final /sɪs/.
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