steatorrhoea: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
RareTechnical, Medical, Formal
Quick answer
What does “steatorrhoea” mean?
The presence of excess fat in the faeces.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The presence of excess fat in the faeces.
A clinical condition characterised by the malabsorption of dietary fats, resulting in abnormally large amounts of fat being excreted in the stool, often causing it to be pale, bulky, foul-smelling, and difficult to flush.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The primary difference is spelling. The British English spelling is 'steatorrhoea' (with 'oe'), while the American English spelling is 'steatorrhea' (with 'e'). Pronunciation is largely identical.
Connotations
Identical in both varieties; strictly medical/clinical.
Frequency
Extremely rare outside of medical literature, healthcare settings, and patient education in both varieties. The American spelling is more common in global scientific publishing.
Grammar
How to Use “steatorrhoea” in a Sentence
suffer from steatorrhoeasteatorrhoea caused by [condition]steatorrhoea is a sign ofVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “steatorrhoea” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The condition steatorrhoeates the patient.
- (Note: 'to steatorrhoea' is not a standard verb. The adjectival form 'steatorrhoeic' is used.)
American English
- (No standard verb form exists.)
adverb
British English
- (No standard adverb form exists.)
American English
- (No standard adverb form exists.)
adjective
British English
- The steatorrhoeic stool was analysed in the lab.
- He has a steatorrhoeic condition.
American English
- The steatorrheic stool was analyzed in the lab.
- She has a steatorrheic condition.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Used in medical, nursing, and biological science research and textbooks.
Everyday
Virtually never used. A layperson would say 'fatty stools' or 'greasy poo'.
Technical
The primary context. Used in clinical notes, diagnoses, differential diagnoses, and medical discussions.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “steatorrhoea”
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “steatorrhoea”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “steatorrhoea”
- Misspelling: 'steatorrea', 'steatarrhoea'. Mispronouncing the 'steato-' part as 'stee-at-oh' instead of 'stee-uh-tuh'. Using it in non-medical conversation.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is a symptom or sign of an underlying condition affecting fat digestion or absorption, such as pancreatic disease, coeliac disease, or bile duct obstruction.
Diarrhoea refers to frequent, loose, or watery stools. Steatorrhoea specifically refers to stools containing excess fat, which can be diarrhoeal or not. Not all diarrhoea is fatty, and not all steatorrhoea presents as frequent urgency.
It is pronounced /ˌstiːətəˈriːə/ (stee-uh-tuh-REE-uh), with the primary stress on the 'ree' syllable.
The spelling 'steatorrhoea' (with 'oe') follows the original British English convention of preserving the Greek/Latin digraph. The American English spelling 'steatorrhea' simplifies this to 'e'. This pattern is seen in similar words like diarrhoea/diarrhea.
The presence of excess fat in the faeces.
Steatorrhoea is usually technical, medical, formal in register.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'STEAT' (like in 'steak' which is fatty) + 'O' + 'RRHOEA' (like diarrhoea, a flow). So, 'fatty flow'.
Conceptual Metaphor
PATHOLOGY IS ABNORMAL FLOW (as in diarrhoea, haemorrhage, gonorrhoea).
Practice
Quiz
In which context would you most likely encounter the word 'steatorrhoea'?