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cretinism

[ kreet-n-iz-uh m or, esp. British, kret- ]
/ ˈkrit nˌɪz əm or, esp. British, ˈkrɛt- /
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noun Pathology.

a congenital disease due to absence or deficiency of normal thyroid secretion, characterized by physical deformity, dwarfism, and mental retardation, and often by goiter.

RELATED WORDS

madness, lunacy, insanity, fatuity, imbecility, foolishness, derangement, inanity, tomfoolery, senselessness, insipidity, asininity

Nearby words

cretan, cretan bull, crete, cretic, cretin, cretinism, cretinize, cretinous, cretonne, cretons, creusa

Origin of cretinism

From the French word crétinisme, dating back to 1795–1805. See cretin, -ism
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

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British Dictionary definitions for cretinism

cretinism

/ (ˈkrɛtɪˌnɪzəm) /

noun

old-fashioned a condition arising from a deficiency of thyroid hormone, present from birth, characterized by dwarfism and mental retardationSee also myxoedema
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

Medicine definitions for cretinism

cretinism

[ krēt′n-ĭz′əm ]

n.

A congenital condition due to thyroid hormone deficiency during fetal development and marked in childhood by dwarfed stature, mental retardation, dystrophy of the bones, and a low basal metabolism.congenital myxedema cretinoid dysplasia
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.