bursitis

noun

bur·​si·​tis (ˌ)bər-ˈsī-təs How to pronounce bursitis (audio)
: inflammation of a bursa (as of the shoulder or elbow)

Did you know?

A bursa is a little pouch filled with fluid that sits between a tendon and a bone. When the fluid becomes infected by bacteria or irritated by too much movement, bursitis results. Throwing a baseball too many times at one session, for example, may inflame and irritate one of the bursae (notice the plural form) in the shoulder. Bursitis in another part of the body may be known by a traditional name such as "housemaid's knee", "soldier's heel", or "tennis elbow". Bursitis generally goes away after a few weeks of resting the affected area, and the pain can be treated with ice packs and aspirin.

Examples of bursitis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Buehler was placed on the IL on May 2 with shoulder bursitis and had thrown 52 pitches over 2 1/3 innings, with two walks and four strikeouts before the ejection. Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 21 May 2025 That's why the Red Sox were eagerly anticipating the return of Walker Buehler, their $21.05 million offseason free agent signing, to the mound Tuesday after 18 days on the injured list with shoulder bursitis. Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025 With Buehler making his first start since April because of shoulder bursitis, the Mets figured Buehler would be on a short leash. Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 21 May 2025 Gilbert began 2025 on the injured list with left knee bursitis. Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 17 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for bursitis

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from bursa

First Known Use

1857, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bursitis was in 1857

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Cite this Entry

“Bursitis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bursitis. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

bursitis

noun
bur·​si·​tis (ˌ)bər-ˈsīt-əs How to pronounce bursitis (audio)
: inflammation of a bursa (as of the shoulder or elbow)

Medical Definition

bursitis

noun
bur·​si·​tis (ˌ)bər-ˈsīt-əs How to pronounce bursitis (audio)
: inflammation of a bursa (as of the shoulder or elbow)

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