tertiary syphilis

noun

, Pathology.

1. the third stage of syphilis, characterized by involvement of the internal organs, especially the brain, spinal cord, heart, and liver.

Word History and Origins

Origin of tertiary syphilis¹

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

"She became infected with a virulent strain of identity politics. By the end, like tertiary syphilis, it drove her insane," Carlson said.

From Fox News

Manet’s last years were wracked with pain as he suffered the debilitating effects of the tertiary syphilis he certainly knew would kill him.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s one thing to take a beautifully bound book aside into a quiet armchair and have a one-on-one encounter with the face of a baby wizened by tertiary syphilis, or with a dignified man with a bulbous, untreated pendant tumor.

From Slate

"The symptoms of tertiary syphilis, which will occur many years after acquiring infection, can be dangerous enough to cause death."

From BBC

By the time Nietzsche lost his wits, tertiary syphilis had undergone a transmutation, infecting the brain and causing paralysis alongside mental disintegration.

From The Guardian