DROPSY, n. L, Gr., water the face. Formerly written hydropisy whence by contraction, dropsy. In medicine, an unnatural collection of water, in an part of the body, proceeding from a greater effusion of serum by the exhalant arteries, than the absorbents take up. It occurs most frequently in persons of lax habits, or in bodies debilitated by disease. The dropsy takes different names, according to the part affected as ascites, or dropsy of the abdomen hydrocephalus, or water in the head anasarca, or a watery swelling over the whole body &c.