Standard Lemma guide

kyphosis

noun · 3 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.

  • /kaɪˈfoʊ.sɪs/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -əʊsɪs

1

noun

Meaning 1

The normal convex curvature of the spine in the thoracic and sacral regions.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: anatomy, medicine, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An abnormal convex curvature of the spine in the cervical or lumbar regions of the spine.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: anatomy, medicine, pathology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: roundback, Kelso's hunchback

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

an abnormal backward curve to the vertebral column

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: humpback, hunchback

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: spinal curvature

History

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek κύφωσις (kúphōsis).

Across languages

Translations

40 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: حُدَاب (ḥudāb) — anatomy: normal curvature of the spine
  • Bulgarian: кифо́за (kifóza) — anatomy: normal curvature of the spine
  • Catalan: cifosi — anatomy: normal curvature of the spine
  • Chinese Mandarin: 脊柱後凸 /脊柱后凸 (jǐzhù hòutū) — anatomy: normal curvature of the spine
  • Czech: hyperkyfóza — anatomy: normal curvature of the spine
  • Finnish: kyfoosi — anatomy: normal curvature of the spine
  • Finnish: kyttyräselkäisyys — anatomy: normal curvature of the spine
  • French: cyphose — anatomy: normal curvature of the spine
  • Galician: cifose — anatomy: normal curvature of the spine
  • Georgian: კიფოზი (ḳipozi) — anatomy: normal curvature of the spine
  • German: Kyphose — anatomy: normal curvature of the spine
  • Italian: cifosi — anatomy: normal curvature of the spine
  • Japanese: 猫背 (nekoze) — anatomy: normal curvature of the spine
  • Kazakh: құныс (qūnys) — anatomy: normal curvature of the spine
  • Persian: گوژپشتی (gužpošti) — anatomy: normal curvature of the spine
  • Polish: kifoza — anatomy: normal curvature of the spine
  • Portuguese: cifose — anatomy: normal curvature of the spine
  • Romanian: cifoză — anatomy: normal curvature of the spine
  • Russian: кифо́з (kifóz) — anatomy: normal curvature of the spine
  • Spanish: cifosis — anatomy: normal curvature of the spine
  • Arabic: حُدَاب (ḥudāb) — anatomy, pathology: abnormal curvature of the spine
  • Bulgarian: кифо́за (kifóza) — anatomy, pathology: abnormal curvature of the spine
  • Catalan: cifosi — anatomy, pathology: abnormal curvature of the spine
  • Chinese Mandarin: 脊柱後凸 /脊柱后凸 (jǐzhù hòutū) — anatomy, pathology: abnormal curvature of the spine
  • Czech: hyperkyfóza — anatomy, pathology: abnormal curvature of the spine
  • Finnish: kyfoosi — anatomy, pathology: abnormal curvature of the spine
  • Finnish: kyttyräselkäisyys — anatomy, pathology: abnormal curvature of the spine
  • French: cyphose — anatomy, pathology: abnormal curvature of the spine
  • Galician: cifose — anatomy, pathology: abnormal curvature of the spine
  • Georgian: კიფოზი (ḳipozi) — anatomy, pathology: abnormal curvature of the spine
  • German: Kyphose — anatomy, pathology: abnormal curvature of the spine
  • Italian: cifosi — anatomy, pathology: abnormal curvature of the spine
  • Japanese: 猫背 (nekoze) — anatomy, pathology: abnormal curvature of the spine
  • Kazakh: құныс (qūnys) — anatomy, pathology: abnormal curvature of the spine
  • Persian: گوژپشتی (gužpošti) — anatomy, pathology: abnormal curvature of the spine
  • Polish: kifoza — anatomy, pathology: abnormal curvature of the spine
  • Portuguese: cifose — anatomy, pathology: abnormal curvature of the spine
  • Romanian: cifoză — anatomy, pathology: abnormal curvature of the spine
  • Russian: кифо́з (kifóz) — anatomy, pathology: abnormal curvature of the spine
  • Spanish: cifosis — anatomy, pathology: abnormal curvature of the spine