Definition

Noun: A medical condition, typically present from birth (congenital), characterized by an abnormally and excessively large tongue.

Usage

The term is used almost exclusively in medical and clinical contexts to describe a specific anatomical abnormality. It is a diagnosis or a descriptive symptom, not a general adjective.

Examples

• The infant's feeding difficulties were attributed to macroglossia.
• Macroglossia is a common feature in individuals with Down syndrome.
• The surgeon explained that the procedure would address the patient's macroglossia to improve speech and airway function.

Advanced Usage

• Etiological Description: The term is often used alongside the condition causing it.
  • The macroglossia observed was secondary to amyloid deposition.
• Symptomatic Description: It can be used to describe the manifestation of an underlying disorder.
  • The clinical presentation included macroglossia, coarse facial features, and delayed development.

Variants and Related Words

• Macroglossic (adjective): Pertaining to or characterized by macroglossia.
  • The patient had macroglossic features.

Different Meanings

This word has only one specific, technical meaning in medical terminology and does not have common alternative definitions.

Synonyms

• Enlarged tongue
• Hypertrophy of the tongue (more general medical term)
• Megaloglossia (a synonymous, less common medical term)

Antonyms

• Microglossia (abnormally small tongue)

Notes

Macroglossia is a compound word formed from the Greek roots "macros-" (large, long) and "glossa" (tongue). It is not used idiomatically or in phrasal verb constructions due to its highly specialized nature.

Noun

1. a congenital disorder characterized by an abnormally large tongue; often seen in cases of Down's syndrome