beriberi

American  

[ber-ee-ber-ee] / ˈbɛr iˈbɛr i /

noun

Pathology.

1. a disease of the peripheral nerves caused by a deficiency of vitamin B 1 , characterized by pain in and paralysis of the extremities, and severe emaciation or swelling of the body.

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beriberi British  

/ ˌbɛrɪˈbɛrɪ /

noun

1. a disease, endemic in E and S Asia, caused by dietary deficiency of thiamine (vitamin B 1 ). It affects the nerves to the limbs, producing pain, paralysis, and swelling

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beriberi Scientific  

/ bĕr′ē-bĕr′ē /

1. A disease caused by a deficiency of thiamine, endemic in eastern and southern Asia, and characterized by neurological symptoms, cardiovascular abnormalities, and edema.

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Other Word Forms

• beriberic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of beriberi

1695–1705; < Sinhalese, reduplication of beri weakness

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

beriberi

He suffered dysentery, beriberi, ulcerated skin and repeated bouts of malaria.

From BBC ● Feb. 3, 2024

Meanwhile, sailors on long voyages had long been suffering from another ailment: beriberi, which can cause heart failure and a loss of sensation in the legs and feet.

From National Geographic ● Nov. 9, 2023

Meanwhile, Dutch army doctor Christian Eijkman had developed his own theory about beriberi after experiments with chickens.

From National Geographic ● Nov. 9, 2023

Rangga Yudha Nagara, an official at the Indonesian Embassy in Lima, Peru, said that since 2020 he has helped evacuate from ships and repatriate two men suffering from beriberi.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 7, 2023

He had survived pellagra in Persia, scurvy in the Malayan archipelago, leprosy in Alexandria, beriberi in Japan, bubonic plague in Madagascar, an earthquake in Sicily, and a disastrous shipwreck in the Strait of Magellan.

From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez