ergotism

[ ur-guh-tiz-uh m ]

/ ˈɜr gəˌtɪz əm /

noun Pathology.

a condition caused by eating rye or some other grain that is infected with ergot fungus or by taking an overdose of a medicine containing ergot, characterized by cramps, spasms, and a form of gangrene.

Nearby words

ergophobia, ergosterol, ergot, ergotamine, ergotin, ergotism, ergotoxine, ergotrate, ergun he, erhard, erhard, ludwig

Origin of ergotism

First recorded in 1850–55; ergot + -ism

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for ergotism

Thus far the best-known examples of poisoning by the products of micro-organisms are botulism and ergotism.
Food Poisoning|Edwin Oakes Jordan
This is a Latin letter by Dr. Baker, and gives a good history of the various epidemics of ergotism.
Poisons: Their Effects and Detection|Alexander Wynter Blyth
The convulsive form of ergotism mostly begins with some cerebral disturbance.
Poisons: Their Effects and Detection|Alexander Wynter Blyth
The first undoubted instance of ergotism in England belongs to the eighteenth century.
A History of Epidemics in Britain (Volume I of II)|Charles Creighton

Thus far the foreign experience of ergotism, both medieval and modern, and of its several types.
A History of Epidemics in Britain (Volume I of II)|Charles Creighton

British Dictionary definitions for ergotism

ergotism

/ (ˈɜːɡəˌtɪzəm) /

noun

ergot poisoning, producing either burning pains and eventually gangrene in the limbs or itching skin and convulsionsAlso called: Saint Anthony's fire

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 ergotism

ergotism

[ ûr′gə-tĭz′əm ]

n.

Poisoning caused by consuming ergot-infected grain or grain products, or from excessive use of drugs containing ergot.