n., pl., -ses (-sēz).
A disease in which the bones become extremely porous, are subject to fracture, and heal slowly, occurring especially in women following menopause and often leading to curvature of the spine from vertebral collapse.
[New Latin : OSTEO- + Greek poros, passage, pore; see pore2 + -OSIS.]
osteoporotic os'te·o·po·rot'ic (-rŏt'ĭk) adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
