rickets
/'rikits/
Definition
- Noun:
- A childhood disease: Rickets is a medical condition that primarily affects children, characterized by softening and weakening of the bones.
- Caused by deficiency: It is caused by a prolonged and severe deficiency of vitamin D, calcium, or phosphate.
- Associated with impaired metabolism: The disease is associated with impaired metabolism of calcium and phosphorus, which are essential for proper bone formation and strength.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The doctor diagnosed the malnourished child with rickets.
- Adequate sunlight exposure can help prevent rickets.
- Rickets was once common in industrialized cities before vitamin D fortification of foods.
Advanced Usage
- "to suffer from rickets": to have the disease of rickets.
- Many children in the 19th century suffered from rickets due to poor diet and lack of sunlight.
- Medical context: The term is used almost exclusively in medical, nutritional, and public health contexts to describe the specific pathological condition.
Variants and Related Words
- Rachitic (adj): Pertaining to or affected by rickets.
- The patient showed rachitic symptoms such as bowed legs.
Synonyms
- Osteomalacia (n): A similar condition of bone softening in adults, often used in contrast to the childhood disease rickets.
- Vitamin D deficiency disease: A descriptive synonym highlighting the primary cause.
Notes on Meaning
- The word "rickets" is a plural noun but is typically used with a singular verb when referring to the disease as a condition (e.g., ).
- It is a specific medical term and is not used in general, figurative, or idiomatic expressions.
Noun
-
childhood disease caused by deficiency of vitamin D and sunlight associated with impaired metabolism of calcium and phosphorus
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