Standard Lemma guide

dropsy

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈdrɒp.si/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˈdɹɑp.si/
  • CMU ARPABET: D R AA1 P S IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Edema, swelling.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic, uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

swelling from excessive accumulation of watery fluid in cells, tissues, or serous cavities

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: edema, oedema, hydrops

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: swelling, puffiness, lump

Narrower terms: angioedema, atrophedema, giant hives, periodic edema, Quincke's edema, lymphedema, scleredema, cystoid macular edema, anasarca, chemosis, papilledema, cerebral edema, brain edema

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *wed- Proto-Indo-European *-r̥ Proto-Indo-European *wódr̥ Proto-Hellenic *údōr Ancient Greek ῡ̆̔́δωρ (hū̆́dōr) Ancient Greek ῠ̔́δρωψ (hŭ́drōps)bor. Latin hydrōps Late Latin hydropisiader. Old French ydropisiebor. Middle English idropesie English dropsy From Middle English dropesie, idropesie, from Old French idropsie, ydropisie, from Latin hydrōps, from Ancient Greek ὕδρωψ (húdrōps), from ὕδωρ (húdōr, “water”). Doublet of hydropsy and hydrops.

Across languages

Translations

31 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: اِسْتِسْقَاء (istisqāʔ) — swelling
  • Armenian: ջրգողություն (ǰrgoġutʻyun) — swelling
  • Bulgarian: воднянка (vodnjanka) — swelling
  • Czech: vodnatelnost — swelling
  • Dutch: waterzucht — swelling
  • French: hydropisie — swelling
  • German: Wassersucht — swelling
  • Greek: υδρωπικία (ydropikía) — swelling
  • Ancient Greek: ὕδρωψ (húdrōps) — swelling
  • Ancient Greek: ὕδερος (húderos) — swelling
  • Hungarian: vizenyő — swelling
  • Hungarian: ödéma — swelling
  • Hungarian: vízkór — swelling
  • Māori: puku kōwhao — swelling
  • Old English: wætersēocnes — swelling
  • Old English: wæterādl — swelling
  • Persian: خشکاماز (xoškāmāz) — swelling
  • Polish: puchlina wodna — swelling
  • Polish: puchlina — swelling
  • Portuguese: hidropisia — swelling
  • Portuguese: tropesia — swelling
  • Russian: водя́нка (vodjánka) — swelling
  • Serbo-Croatian: водена болест — swelling
  • Serbo-Croatian: vodena bolest — swelling
  • Spanish: hidropesía — swelling
  • Tagalog: kalamayo — swelling
  • Telugu: ఉబ్బురోగము (ubburōgamu) — swelling
  • Turkish: hidrops — swelling
  • Welsh: clwyf y dŵr — swelling
  • Welsh: dropsi — swelling
  • Welsh: dyfrglwyf — swelling