disease
[ dih-zeez ]
/ dɪˈziz /
noun
a disordered or incorrectly functioning organ, part, structure, or system of the body resulting from the effect of genetic or developmental errors, infection, poisons, nutritional deficiency or imbalance, toxicity, or unfavorable environmental factors; illness; sickness; ailment.
any abnormal condition in a plant that interferes with its vital physiological processes, caused by pathogenic microorganisms, parasites, unfavorable environmental, genetic, or nutritional factors, etc.
any harmful, depraved, or morbid condition, as of the mind or society: His fascination with executions is a disease.
decomposition of a material under special circumstances: tin disease.
verb (used with object), dis·eased, dis·eas·ing.
to affect with disease; make ill.
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Nearby words
discussant, discussion, discutient, disdain, disdainful, disease, disease determinant, diseased, diseconomy, disegno, disembargo
SYNONYMS FOR disease
Related formsdis·eas·ed·ly, adverbdis·eas·ed·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for disease
British Dictionary definitions for disease
disease
/ (dɪˈziːz) /
noun
any impairment of normal physiological function affecting all or part of an organism, esp a specific pathological change caused by infection, stress, etc, producing characteristic symptoms; illness or sickness in general
a corresponding condition in plants
any situation or condition likened to thisthe disease of materialism
Related formsRelated adjective: pathological
Word Origin for disease
C14: from Old French desaise; see dis- 1, ease
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for disease
disease
early 14c., "discomfort, inconvenience," from Old French desaise "lack, want; discomfort, distress; trouble, misfortune; disease, sickness," from des- "without, away" (see dis-) + aise "ease" (see ease). Sense of "sickness, illness" in English first recorded late 14c.; the word still sometimes was used in its literal sense early 17c.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Medicine definitions for disease
disease
[ dĭ-zēz′ ]
n.
A pathological condition of a body part, an organ, or a system resulting from various causes, such as infection, genetic defect, or environmental stress, and characterized by an identifiable group of signs or symptoms.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.