elephantiasis
Americannoun
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Pathology. a chronic filarial disease resulting in lymphatic obstruction, characterized by marked enlargement of the parts affected, especially of the legs and scrotum, transmitted by mosquitoes.
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untoward growth or development.
bureaucratic elephantiasis.
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of elephantiasis
1575–85; < Latin < Greek elephantíāsis, equivalent to elephant- elephant + -iāsis -iasis
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Several serious, neglected tropical diseases in humans are caused by roundworms, including river blindness, lymphatic elephantiasis and ascariasis.
From Scientific American ● Jun. 18, 2023
These include elephantiasis, trachoma and Guinea Worm and are among 20 disease groups that mainly affect people in the poorest countries.
From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2021
He was recognized by the World Health Organization for his work in the Cook Islands helping stamp out the tropical disease lymphatic filariasis, commonly known as elephantiasis.
From Washington Times ● Sep. 5, 2020
None for parasites like Chagas, elephantiasis, hookworm or liver flukes.
From New York Times ● Nov. 20, 2018
The Pacific Ocean was a body of water surrounded on all sides by elephantiasis and other dread diseases to which, if he ever displeased Colonel Cathcart by grounding Yossarian, he might suddenly find himself transferred.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
