Tay-Sachs disease

[ tey-saks ]

noun

, Pathology.

1. a rare fatal hereditary disease, occurring chiefly in infants and children, especially of eastern European Jewish origin, characterized by a red spot on the retina, gradual blindness, and paralysis.

Tay-Sachs disease

/ ˌteɪˈsæks /

noun

1. an inherited disorder, caused by a faulty recessive gene, in which lipids accumulate in the brain, leading to mental retardation and blindness. It occurs mostly in Ashkenazi Jews

Tay-Sachs disease

/ tā′săks′ /

1. A genetic disease in which the products of fat metabolism accumulate in the nervous system, causing retardation, paralysis, and death by preschool age. Individuals of eastern European Jewish descent have a higher risk of inheriting Tay-Sachs disease. The disease is named after its describers, British ophthalmologist Warren Tay (1843–1927) and American neurologist Bernard Sachs (1858–1944).

Word History and Origins

Origin of Tay-Sachs disease¹

1920–25; named after W. Tay (1843–1927), English physician, and B. Sachs (1858–1944), American neurologist

Word History and Origins

Origin of Tay-Sachs disease¹

C20: named after W. Tay (1843–1927), British physician, and B. Sachs (1858–1944), US neurologist

Example Sentences

Tay-Sachs disease, the more common of the two disorders, typically manifests within the first year of life, progressing quickly and often proving fatal within a few years.

From Science Daily

A child with Tay-Sachs disease can appear radiantly healthy as a newborn but begins an inexorable decline by six months.

From Scientific American

Disabled by late-onset Tay-Sachs disease, a neurological condition, she had been hospitalized with an uncertain prognosis.

From New York Times

Two babies have received the first-ever gene therapy for Tay-Sachs disease after over 14 years of development.

From Scientific American

In her third memoir, Emily Rapp Black writes of tentatively, painfully regaining her footing after losing her son to Tay-Sachs disease.

From New York Times