a disorder of carbohydrate metabolism characterized by excessive thirst and excretion of abnormally large quantities of urine containing an excess of sugar, caused by a deficiency of insulin
See also IDDM, NIDDM
Word origin
C18: New Latin, literally: honey-sweet diabetes
diabetes mellitus in American English
(məˈlaɪtəs)
a chronic form of diabetes involving an insulin deficiency and characterized by an excess of sugar in the bloodand urine, and by hunger, thirst, and gradual loss of weight
Word origin
ModL, lit., honey diabetes < L mellitus, of honey, honeyed < mel, honey: see mildew