# diabetes

Pronunciation: say "dy-uh-BEE-teez" US /ˌdaɪəˈbitiz/, UK /ˌdaɪəˈbiːtiːz/, AUS /ˌdɑɪəˈbiːtiːz/

## Noun

1. A group of metabolic diseases marked by high blood sugar, caused by the body's inability to produce or properly use the hormone insulin.
   - Simple: A long-term illness where the body has too much sugar in the blood because it cannot make or use insulin well.
   - _The clinic screens older patients for diabetes during routine checkups._
   - _Type 2 diabetes is often managed with diet, exercise, and medication._
2. A condition marked by the passing of large volumes of dilute urine, typically caused by impaired production of or response to the antidiuretic hormone vasopressin.
   - Simple: A condition where the body makes too much urine because it cannot control its water balance well.
   - _Doctors suspected diabetes after the patient reported drinking and urinating excessively despite normal blood sugar._
   - _Head trauma can trigger diabetes when the gland that releases vasopressin is damaged._
3. A humorous slang name for food or drink containing an excessive amount of sugar. *(slang)*
   - Simple: A joking name for food or drinks that have a lot of sugar.
   - _She handed me a soda the size of my head and called it liquid diabetes._
   - _The dessert menu here is just diabetes with extra steps._

## Origin

From Latin diabētēs ("siphon"), which came from Ancient Greek diabḗtēs, ultimately from the Greek verb diabaínō ("to pass through").

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/diabetes (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).