an infectious disease of fishes, characterized by a swollen, spongelike body and protruding scales, caused by a variety of the bacterium Pseudomonas punctata.
Origin: 1250–1300; ME drop(e)sie, aph. var. of ydropesie < OF < ML (h)ydrōpisīa, equiv. to L hydrōpis(is) (< Gk hydrōpi-, s. of hýdrōps dropsy (hydr-hydr-+ -ōpsi- < ?) + -sis-sis) + -ia-y3
drop·sy (drŏp'sē) n. Edema. No longer in scientific use.
[Middle English dropesie, short for idropesie, from Old French ydropisie, from Medieval Latin ydrōpisia, from Latin hydrōpisis, from Greek hudrōpiāsis, from hudrōps, dropsy, a dropsical person : hudro-, water; see hydro- + ōps, face; see okw- in Indo-European roots.] drop'si·cal (-sĭ-kəl) adj., drop'si·cal·ly adv.
c.1290, aphetic of M.E. ydropsy, from O.Fr. idropsie, from L. hydropsis, from Gk. hydrops (gen. hydropos) "dropsy," from hydor "water" (see water (n.1)).