Diabetes Definition

dīə-bētĭs, -tēz

noun

Diabetes mellitus.

American Heritage

Any of various diseases characterized by an excessive discharge of urine; esp., diabetes mellitus.

Webster's New World

Diabetes insipidus.

American Heritage

A group of metabolic diseases whereby a person (other animal) has high blood sugar due to an inability to produce, or inability to metabolize, sufficient quantities of the hormone insulin.

Wiktionary

Diabetes insipidus, a condition characterized by excessive thirst and excretion of large amounts of severely diluted urine.

Wiktionary

Origin of Diabetes

Middle English diabete from Medieval Latin diabētēs from Latin from Greek siphon, diabetes from diabainein to cross over, straddle dia- dia- bainein to go gwā- in Indo-European roots

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
From the Ancient Greek διαβαίνω (diabainō, “to pass through”), via the participle διαβήτης (diabētēs, “passing through”). This refers to the excessive amounts of urine produced by sufferers.

From Wiktionary