What does carnosity mean?
Carnosity is a rare noun with two related meanings. In its primary sense it denotes a fleshy excrescence — an abnormal outgrowth of soft tissue, most famously in the nose, where it was once a routine term for what clinicians would now call a nasal polyp. More broadly, it can describe the condition of being fleshy or having an excess of flesh. The word derives from the Latin carnosus ('fleshy'), itself built on caro ('flesh'), the same root behind carnal, incarnate, and carnival. Today carnosity survives almost exclusively in historical medical texts and specialized anatomy, giving it an archaic, clinical flavor. It is occasionally revived by writers seeking a precise, Latinate word for fleshy growths, but most modern readers will encounter it only in old anatomical treatises or as a curiosity of medical vocabulary.
nounA fleshy excrescence or overgrowth of tissue; the state or quality of being fleshy.
- A fleshy excrescence or abnormal growth of soft tissue, especially in the nose (now chiefly medical/historical).
- The state or condition of being fleshy; excessive fleshiness.
"The surgeon removed a small carnosity from the patient's nasal passage."
"The physician noted a small carnosity obstructing the nasal septum."
"In older anatomical texts, any soft fleshy swelling might be described as a carnosity."
Standard English plural; used when referring to multiple fleshy growths.
"The examination revealed several small carnosities along the nasal mucosa."
Before modern surgery had its own vocabulary for nasal polyps, doctors simply called them 'carnosities' — little pieces of flesh growing where they shouldn't.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of carnosity
Carnosity comes from the Late Latin carnosus, meaning 'fleshy', combined with the noun-forming suffix '-ity'. Its ultimate root is the Latin word caro (genitive carnis), meaning 'flesh', which also gives us English words such as carnal, carnivore, incarnate, and carnival. The term entered English medical vocabulary in the early modern period and was used for centuries by surgeons and anatomists to describe soft fleshy growths before more specific terminology displaced it.
How carnosity is actually used
Carnosity is rare today, surviving mainly in historical medical literature and anatomical writing. It carries a clinical rather than everyday register, and in general contexts it may strike readers as archaic or obscure.
Easily confused with carnosity
Carnality refers to sensual or bodily desires and appetites, while carnosity refers to fleshy tissue or a fleshy growth on the body.