Alzheimer's disease
or Alz·hei·mer disease
a common form of dementia, believed to be caused by changes in the brain, usually beginning in late middle age, characterized by memory lapses, confusion, emotional instability, and progressive loss of mental ability.
Origin of Alzheimer's disease
1- Also called Alz·hei·mer’s .
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for Alzheimer's disease
/ (ˈæltsˌhaɪməz) /
a disorder of the brain resulting in a progressive decline in intellectual and physical abilities and eventual dementia: Often shortened to: Alzheimer's
Origin of Alzheimer's disease
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for Alzheimer's disease
[ äls′hī-mərz ]
A progressive, degenerative disease of the brain, commonly affecting the elderly, and associated with the development of amyloid plaques in the cerebral cortex. It is characterized by confusion, disorientation, memory failure, speech disturbances, and eventual dementia. The cause is unknown. Alzheimer's disease is named for its identifier, German psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer (1864-1915).
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for Alzheimer's disease
[ (ahlts-heye-muhrz, alts-heye-muhrz, awlts-heye-muhrz) ]
Notes for Alzheimer's disease
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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