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

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Etymology

Origin of beriberi

1695–1705; < Sinhalese, reduplication of beri weakness

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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

Eijkman pursued that line of research, discovering that prison populations fed white rice were also afflicted with beriberi.

From National Geographic ● Nov. 9, 2023

Like scurvy, which results from a deficiency of vitamin C, beriberi was common in the 19th century among sailors on extended voyages.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 7, 2023

There, as they began to die of beriberi, diphtheria, smallpox, cholera, and torture, Duckworth ministered to them as chaplain even as he worked side by side with them.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

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