Dictionary.com

marasmus

[ muh-raz-muhs ]
/ məˈræz məs /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for: marasmus / marasmuses on Thesaurus.com

noun Pathology.
malnutrition occurring in infants and young children, caused by insufficient intake of calories or protein and characterized by thinness, dry skin, poor muscle development, and irritability.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

Origin of marasmus

1650–60; <New Latin <Greek marasmós a wasting away, akin to maraínein to weaken, waste away

OTHER WORDS FROM marasmus

ma·ras·mic, adjectivema·ras·moid, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use marasmus in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for marasmus

marasmus
/ (məˈræzməs) /

noun
pathol general emaciation and wasting, esp of infants, thought to be associated with severe malnutrition or impaired utilization of nutrients

Derived forms of marasmus

marasmic, adjective

Word Origin for marasmus

C17: from New Latin, from Greek marasmos, from marainein to waste
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
FEEDBACK