pathology

noun

1. (uncountable, usually)The study of the nature of disease and its causes, processes, development, and consequences; now usually and especially in the clinical and academic medicine subsenses defined below.

   “The surgeon sent a specimen of the cyst to the hospital's pathology department for staining and analysis to determine its histologic subtype.”

2. (literary, uncountable, usually)The study of the nature of disease and its causes, processes, development, and consequences; now usually and especially in the clinical and academic medicine subsenses defined below.

   “Those three pioneering pathologists went on to become leaders in building the pathology departments at several universities.”

3. (uncountable, usually)The study of the nature of disease and its causes, processes, development, and consequences; now usually and especially in the clinical and academic medicine subsenses defined below.

   “the plant pathology and vertebrate pathology programs of the university's biology department”

4. (uncountable, usually)Pathosis: any deviation from a healthy or normal structure or function; abnormality; illness or malformation.

   “Some sort of renal pathology was suspected, but imaging and even biopsy found no discernible pathology, glomerular or otherwise.”

   “Some sort of mental and social pathology seemed to sweep over the discourse later that autumn.”