orthopnoea

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/ɔrˈθɒpniə//ɔrˈθɑpniə//ɔrθəpˈniːə/

noun

Shortness of breath when lying flat, causing the person to have to sleep propped up in bed or sitting in a chair.

OriginAncient Greek ὀρθόπνοια →
Scrabble 15
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Meanings

nounorthopnoea (usually uncountable, plural orthopnoeas or orthopnoeae)

plural orthopnoeas · plural orthopnoeae · alternative orthopnea · alternative orthopnœa

  1. uncountableusuallyShortness of breath when lying flat, causing the person to have to sleep propped up in bed or sitting in a chair.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekὀρθόπνοια“breathing only in an upright posture”
  2. Englishorthopnoea

From ortho- + -pnoea, from Ancient Greek ὀρθόπνοια (orthópnoia, “breathing only in an upright posture”), from ὀρθός (orthós, “straight”) + πνοή (pnoḗ, “breath”).

More words from Ancient Greek

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Cite this entry
APA

orthopnoea. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/orthopnoea

MLA

“orthopnoea.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/orthopnoea. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “orthopnoea,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/orthopnoea.

Source: orthopnoea on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.