Save Gender Masculine Usage Obscure Pronounced Pron. /ˈfθaɪ.sɪs/(English) /ˈθaɪ.sɪs/(English) /ˈtaɪ.sɪs/(English) [key·simplify] Meaning & History Simply from the English word meaning "wasting, consumption", ultimately from Greek φθίσις (phthisis). A Phthisis Smith was born in England in 1915.