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View synonyms for scurvy

scurvy

[ skur-vee ]

noun

  1. 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

, scur·vi·er, scur·vi·est.
  1. contemptible; despicable; mean:

    a scurvy trick.

scurvy

/ ˈskɜːvɪ /

noun

  1. 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
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. mean or despicable

    a scurvy knave

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

scurvy

/ skûr /

  1. A disease caused by vitamin C deficiency, characterized by bleeding of the gums, rupture of capillaries under the skin, loose teeth, and generalized weakness.
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Derived Forms

  • ˈscurviness, noun
  • ˈscurvily, adverb
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Other Words From

  • scurvi·ly adverb
  • scurvi·ness noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of scurvy1

First recorded in 1555–65; scurf + -y 1
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Word History and Origins

Origin of scurvy1

C16: see scurf
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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".

From BBC

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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S-curvescurvy grass