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scurvy
[ skur-vee ]
noun
- Pathology. a disease marked by swollen and bleeding gums, livid spots on the skin, prostration, etc., due to a diet lacking in vitamin C.
adjective
- contemptible; despicable; mean:
a scurvy trick.
scurvy
/ ˈskɜːvɪ /
noun
- a disease caused by a lack of vitamin C, characterized by anaemia, spongy gums, bleeding beneath the skin, and (in infants) malformation of bones and teeth scorbutic
adjective
- mean or despicable
a scurvy knave
scurvy
/ skûr′vē /
- A disease caused by vitamin C deficiency, characterized by bleeding of the gums, rupture of capillaries under the skin, loose teeth, and generalized weakness.
Derived Forms
- ˈscurviness, noun
- ˈscurvily, adverb
Other Words From
- scurvi·ly adverb
- scurvi·ness noun
Word History and Origins
Origin of scurvy1
Example Sentences
Hunger-related diseases such as rickets, scurvy, and tuberculosis were widespread, and in the cities, death from starvation was becoming a daily occurrence.
She was incorrectly diagnosed with everything from shingles to scurvy and was even told to "eat more vegetables" because her prescribed diet had "made my digestive system lazy".
Early white settlers, according to the Oregon Encyclopedia, would eat cranberries as a source of vitamin C to prevent scurvy, “and the berry’s naturally waxy coating allowed for long keeping.”
Researchers rushed to isolate other micronutrients associated with diseases like rickets, scurvy, goiters, and more.
Like scurvy, which results from a deficiency of vitamin C, beriberi was common in the 19th century among sailors on extended voyages.
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