leprosity

English

Etymology

From Middle English leprosite, from Medieval Latin leprositas (“state of being leprous, leprosy”) either directly or via French leprosite, from leprōsus (“leprous”) + -itas (“-ity”).

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /lɛˈpɹɑsɪti/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /lɛˈpɹɒsɪti/
• Rhymes: -ɒsɪti

Noun

leprosity (countable and uncountable, plural leprosities)

1. (medicine, now rare) Synonym of leprosy in its various senses.
2. (alchemy, of metals) The supposed impurity or impurities of various metals, understood as causing their deviation from gold.

   The purpose of physical alchemy—as opposed to its various spiritual pursuits—was to treat the leprosity of base metals such as lead, refining and purifying them into gold.

3. (biology, of plants, now rare) Synonym of scaliness.

References

• “leprosity, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, 2022.

Anagrams

• pyrolites