lumbago
/ˌlʌmˈbeɪˌɡoʊ/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: 1.88 in modern English
12
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Backache of the lumbar region or lower back, which can be caused by muscle strain or a slipped disc.
Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "Sir Oswald Feiling winced as he turned to go home. He had felt a warning twinge of lumbago."
- "We may imagine an athletics coach with a scientific training researching into the physiology and the psychology of runners. [...] He finds out the effects of fatigue, of alcohol, of tobacco, of lumbago and of depression upon their performances."
Etymology
The noun is borrowed from Late Latin lumbāgō (“backache of the lumbar region”), from Late Latin lumbus (“lumbar”), Latin lumbus (“loin”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *lendʰ- (“loins”)) + -āgō (suffix forming nouns describing objects, animals, and plants). The verb is derived from the noun.
Origin
- Source language: Latin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˌlʌmˈbeɪˌɡoʊ/
- British English: /lʌmˈbeɪɡəʊ/
Usage
Subject
Wiktionary places this term in Medicine.