Definition

A condition where the stomach and intestines become inflamed, often causing symptoms like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramps.

Example

After eating some spoiled food, she was diagnosed with gastroenteritis.

Conversation

Hey, I heard you were sick last week, what happened?

Yeah, I had a really bad case of gastroenteritis and it was awful.

Oh no, that sounds terrible! How did you deal with it?

I just stayed hydrated and rested a lot, but it took a few days to feel normal again.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Gastroenteritis is formed from "gastro-" (from Greek "gaster", meaning stomach) and "enteron" (meaning intestine) and "-itis" (meaning inflammation). The word refers to the inflammation of the stomach and intestines.

Memory Tip

Think of 'gastro-' for stomach and 'enteron' for intestine, combined with '-itis' which indicates inflammation — this helps you remember that gastroenteritis is the inflammation of both the stomach and intestines.

Visually Confused Words