- -path
- comb. form forming nouns denoting:
1 a practitioner of curative treatment (homoeopath; osteopath).
2 a person who suffers from a disease (psychopath).
Etymology: back-form. f. -PATHY, or f. Gk -pathes -sufferer (as PATHOS)
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\\ˌpath, ˌpaa(ə)th, ˌpaith\ noun combining form (-s)Etymology: in sense 1, from German, back-formation from -pathie -pathy; in sense 2, International Scientific Vocabulary, from Greek -pathēs, from pathos1. : a practitioner of a (specified) system of medicine that emphasizes some one aspect of disease and its treatmentallopath
hydropath
osteopath
2. : one suffering from a (specified) kind of ailmentpsychopath
neuropath
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a combining form occurring in personal nouns corresponding to abstract nouns ending in -pathy, with the general sense "one practicing such a treatment" (osteopath) or "one suffering from such an ailment" (psychopath).* * *
-path /-path/n combining form1. A sufferer from a particular disorder, as in psychopath2. A therapist for a particular disorder, as in osteopathORIGIN: Ety as for ↑pathos• • •-pathetic or -pathic adj combining form-pathist n combining formDenoting a therapist for a particular disorder-pathy n combining form1. Mental or emotional sensitivity or receptiveness2. Disease, disorder3. Therapy for a particular disorder* * *
comb. form1) denoting a practitioner of curative treatmenthomeopath
2) denoting a person who suffers from a diseasepsychopath
•Origin:back-formation from -pathy, or from Greek -pathēs ‘-sufferer’
Useful english dictionary. 2012.