paleopathology
noun
pa·leo·pa·thol·o·gy
ˌpā-lē-ō-pə-ˈthä-lə-jē 
-pa-ˈthä-,
especially British ˌpa-lē-
: a branch of pathology concerned with ancient diseases as evidenced especially in fossil or other remains
Examples of paleopathology in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Kanam jaw, discovered in Kenya in 1932 by Louis Leakey, was my portal into the world of paleopathology and, in particular, the obscure sub discipline of paleo-oncology -- the search for the ancient roots of cancer.
—
George Johnson, Discover Magazine, 23 June 2013
The plague of Athens: epidemiology and paleopathology.
—Rebecca Kreston, Discover Magazine, 31 May 2016
Like us, dinosaurs got sick but evidence of disease and infection in the fossil record -- a field known as paleopathology -- has been scant.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 13 Feb. 2020
George Johnson, Discover Magazine, 23 June 2013
The plague of Athens: epidemiology and paleopathology.
—Rebecca Kreston, Discover Magazine, 31 May 2016
Like us, dinosaurs got sick but evidence of disease and infection in the fossil record -- a field known as paleopathology -- has been scant.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 13 Feb. 2020
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'paleopathology.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1893, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near paleopathology
Cite this Entry
“Paleopathology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paleopathology. Accessed 30 Nov. 2023.
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Medical Definition
paleopathology
noun
pa·leo·pa·thol·o·gy
variants
or chiefly British palaeopathology
plural paleopathologies
: a branch of pathology concerned with diseases of former times as determined especially from fossil or other remains
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