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.

---

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

---

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.

---

Other Word Forms

• beriberic adjective

Etymology

Origin of beriberi

1695–1705; < Sinhalese, reduplication of beri weakness

Example Sentences

In 2016, six Cambodian crew members died from beriberi, a preventable disease, onboard a Thai fishmeal trawler.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 28, 2025

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

From BBC • Feb. 3, 2024

The discovery confirmed Takaki’s theory that diet and beriberi were linked, but the culprit wasn’t a lack of protein.

From National Geographic • Nov. 9, 2023

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

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