indolent

views updated Jun 27 2018

in·do·lent / ˈindələnt/ • adj. 1. wanting to avoid activity or exertion; lazy.2. Med. (of a disease condition) causing little or no pain. ∎  (esp. of an ulcer) slow to develop, progress, or heal; persistent.DERIVATIVES: in·do·lence n.in·do·lent·ly adv.ORIGIN: mid 17th cent.: from late Latin indolent-, from in- ‘not’ + dolere ‘suffer or give pain.’ The sense ‘idle’ arose in the early 18th cent.

indolent

views updated May 18 2018

indolent (path.) painless XVII; averse to exertion XVIII. — late L. indolēns, -ent-, f. IN-2 + prp. of dolēre suffer pain, give pain; see -ENT.
So indolence XVI. — F. or L.

indolent

views updated Jun 11 2018

indolent (in-dŏl-ĕnt) adj. describing a disease process that is failing to heal or has persisted. The term is applied particularly to ulcers of skin or mucous membrane.

More From encyclopedia.com