Definition

1. Noun:
   • A disease caused by a lack of an essential nutrient: A "deficiency disease" is a specific medical condition that results from the body not receiving a sufficient amount of a vital nutrient, such as a vitamin or mineral. It is a type of nutritional disorder.

Usage

• The term is used as a countable noun to classify and discuss specific illnesses with a known nutritional cause.
• It is typically used in medical, nutritional, and public health contexts.

Examples

• Noun:
  • Scurvy is a classic deficiency disease caused by a lack of vitamin C.
  • Public health programs aim to eliminate deficiency diseases in vulnerable populations.
  • The doctor diagnosed the patient's condition as a nutritional deficiency disease.

Advanced Usage

• "to suffer from a deficiency disease": to be afflicted by an illness due to nutrient lack.
  • Children in the impoverished region often suffer from deficiency diseases.
• "preventable deficiency disease": emphasizes that the illness could be avoided with proper nutrition.
  • Rickets is a largely preventable deficiency disease.

Variants and Related Words

• Nutritional deficiency (n): A broader term for a shortage of any nutrient, which may or may not lead to a specific disease state.
  • Blood tests revealed a nutritional deficiency.
• Avitaminosis (n): A specific type of deficiency disease resulting from a lack of vitamins.
  • Avitaminosis can manifest in various ways depending on the missing vitamin.

Synonyms

• Nutritional disorder: A general term for any health problem related to diet and nutrient intake.
• Hypovitaminosis: A condition specifically resulting from a deficiency of vitamins.

Related Phrases

• Disease of deficiency: A less common, more descriptive phrase with the same meaning.
  • The medical literature often refers to pellagra as a disease of deficiency.

Noun

1. any disease caused by a lack of an essential nutrient (as a vitamin or mineral)