beriberi

[ ber-ee-ber-ee ]

/ ˈbɛr iˈbɛr i /

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noun Pathology.

a disease of the peripheral nerves caused by a deficiency of vitamin B1, characterized by pain in and paralysis of the extremities, and severe emaciation or swelling of the body.

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Origin of beriberi

1695–1705; <Sinhalese, reduplication of beri weakness

OTHER WORDS FROM beriberi

ber·i·ber·ic, adjective

Words nearby beriberi

berg wind, bergy bit, berhyme, Beria, beribboned, beriberi, berimbau, berime, Bering, Bering Sea, Bering Strait

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use beriberi in a sentence

Beriberi, a disease observed especially among seamen, appears at times in our coast towns.
Essays In Pastoral Medicine|Austin Malley
One day there was carried to the fort from Chunabatti, the only village for miles round, a Chinaman suffering from beriberi.
Life in an Indian Outpost|Gordon Casserly
Beriberi (or Berberi) is the name given them by the Hausa (see Bornu).
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 15, Slice 6|Various
It will be noted that “ship-beriberi” is included in this group of diseases.
Scurvy Past and Present|Alfred Fabian Hess

It is valuable in this connection to compare the adrenal in scurvy with that of beriberi.
Scurvy Past and Present|Alfred Fabian Hess

British Dictionary definitions for beriberi

beriberi

/ (ˌbɛrɪˈbɛrɪ) /

noun

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

Word Origin for beriberi

C19: from Sinhalese, by reduplication from beri weakness

Collins 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 beriberi

beriberi

[ bĕr′ē-bĕr′ē ]

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