limberneck

American

[lim-ber-nek] / ˈlɪm bərˌnɛk /

noun

Veterinary Pathology.

a fatal infection of botulism affecting birds, especially chickens and ducks, characterized by weakness of the neck muscles and inability to eat.

First recorded in 1905–10; limber ¹ + neck

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But one day in 1951 he woke up to find 4,000 of his birds dead of limberneck disease.

From Seattle Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023