- pleurisy
- late 14c., from O.Fr. pleurisie (13c.), from L.L. pleurisis "pleurisy" (c.400), alt. of L. pleuritis "pain in the side," from Gk. pleuritis, from pleura "side of the body, rib," of unknown origin. Spelling alt. in L.L. on model of L. stem plur- "more" (cf. M.L. pluritas "multitude"), as if in ref. to "excess of humors."