NEWS Health News Word of the Week: Pruritus By Team Verywell Health Published on September 21, 2022 Share Tweet Email Print Alex Dos Diaz / Verywell Each week, Verywell explains a term from health, medicine, science, or technology. Pruritus How to say it: Pruritus (proo-RIGHT-us) What it means: Feeling itchy. Where it comes from: Latin, prurio, "to itch" Oscar Wong / Getty Images Where you might see or hear it: If you go to your provider with an irritating rash, they'll probably ask you if it itches. If you say yes, they would note "pruritus" as a symptom in your medical record. When you might want to use it: Most of the time, it's easy enough just to say that you feel itchy. Sometimes, the cause of the itching is clear, like a rash. In some cases, pruritus is caused by an underlying medical condition like liver disease. Sometimes, pruritus just happens and the cause isn't known. Why Does Liver Disease Make You Itch? Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Merriam-Webster. Definition of pruritus. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Medical Expert Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit