word of the day: sclerotic

The word of the day is sclerotic:

Etymology:  < medieval and modern Latin sclērōticus (medieval Latin in feminine form sclerotica n.), < late Greek *σκληρωτικός having the property of hardening, pertaining to sclerosis or hardening, < σκληροῦν : see scleroma n. 

A. adj.¹ 

1.a. Anat. In sclerotic coat, sclerotic membrane, sclerotic tunic = B. 1 

.b. Of or pertaining to, or connected with the sclerotic coat of the eye. sclerotic bone, sclerotic plate = sclerotal n.; sclerotic ring, the ring formed by the sclerotic bones of the eyeball.

 2. Of medicines: Adapted to harden the tissues.

3. Pathol. Of or pertaining to sclerosis; affected with sclerosis. 

4. Bot. Hardened, stony in texture. sclerotic cells, grit-cells or sclereids; sclerotic parenchyma, grit-cells or stone-cells in pears, etc.

5. fig. Unmoving, unchanging, rigid. (OED)

"The V.A. is a sclerotic and overwhelmed bureaucracy; it barely has the resources to maintain its current level of health coverage, let alone expand it."

 - Nicholas Schmidle, "In the crosshairs", 3 June 2013 The New Yorker