Dictionary

halitosis en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /hæl.ɪˈtoʊ.sɪs/ (US)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /hæl.ɪˈtəʊ.sɪs/ (UK)
• /hæl.ɪˈtəʉ.sɪs/ (Australia)

Etymology

Coined by doctor Joseph William Howe in 1874 and described as being derived from the Latin hālitus (literally “whiff, breath”) and the Ancient Greek νόσος (nósos, literally “disease”). It can be also understood as combination of the Latin hālitus and the English suffix -osis.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The condition of having stale or foul-smelling breath.
   • For example, the word halitosis was almost completely unknown among the general public until the early 20th century when a business owner named Gerard Lambert started using it to sell a new product called Listerine. By giving a mundane fact of life (bad breath) a scientific sounding label, Lambert elevated the authority and desirability of his product many times over. [2018 June 13, Michael Schein, “Author Simon Sinek Is Full Of Hot Air (And Other Reasons You Should Follow His Lead)”, in Forbes:
   • Bad breath or halitosis is an indication of a disturbed digestive system. It is indicative of a bowel toxemia in either the small or large intestine with an overgrowth of bacteria or yeast. 2004, Dicken Weatherby, Signs and Symptoms Analysis from a Functional Perspective, Weatherby & Associates, LLC, →ISBN, page 115:

Forms

Deriveds

pseudohalitosis · halitophobia · antihalitosis · halitotic

Relateds

inhale · exhale · bad breath

Synonyms

fetor oris · stomatodysodia · bromopnea · ozostomia

Translations (37)

fa گندهدهانی (condition of having foul-smelling breath) · is andremma (condition of having foul-smelling breath) · da foetor ex ore (condition of having foul-smelling breath) · fr halitose (condition of having foul-smelling breath) · te నోటి దుర్వాసన (condition of having foul-smelling breath) · ar بَخَر (condition of having foul-smelling breath) · nl foetor ex ore (condition of having foul-smelling breath) · el χαλίτωση (condition of having foul-smelling breath) · fi pahanhajuinen hengitys (condition of having foul-smelling breath) · nb dårlig ånde (condition of having foul-smelling breath) · cmn 口臭 (condition of having foul-smelling breath) · fi halitoosi (condition of having foul-smelling breath) · pt halitose (condition of having foul-smelling breath) · bg лош дъх (condition of having foul-smelling breath) · ca halitosi (condition of having foul-smelling breath) · la fētor ēx ōre (condition of having foul-smelling breath) · da dårlig ånde (condition of having foul-smelling breath) · pl halitoza (condition of having foul-smelling breath) · ru галито́з (condition of having foul-smelling breath) · fa بوی بد دهان (condition of having foul-smelling breath) · unm alëtun (condition of having foul-smelling breath) · da halitosis (condition of having foul-smelling breath) · de Mundgeruch (condition of having foul-smelling breath) · gl halitose (condition of having foul-smelling breath) · is andfýla (condition of having foul-smelling breath) · sv foetor ex ore (condition of having foul-smelling breath) · ko 구취 (condition of having foul-smelling breath) · ja 口臭 (condition of having foul-smelling breath) · eo halitozo (condition of having foul-smelling breath) · sv dålig andedräkt (condition of having foul-smelling breath) · nb halitose (condition of having foul-smelling breath) · cs halitóza (condition of having foul-smelling breath) · it alitosi (condition of having foul-smelling breath) · es halitosis (condition of having foul-smelling breath) · he באשת (condition of having foul-smelling breath) · ru неприя́тный за́пах и́зо рта́ (condition of having foul-smelling breath) · mi hāpiro (condition of having foul-smelling breath)