med_cat: (Default)
Nechama Chaya ([personal profile] med_cat) wrote in [community profile] 1word1day2017-05-26 05:55 pm

Friday word: Cryptogenic

cryptogenic, adj. cryp·to·gen·ic \ˌkrip-tə-ˈje-nik\

: of obscure or unknown origin: a cryptogenic disease

(as distinguished from phanerogenic and idiopathic)

Etymology:

Derived from Greek "κρυπτός", meaning hidden, and "γένεσις", meaning origin

Example: Cryptogenic stroke if often caused by atrial fibrillation.


First Known Use :1873