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Synonyms

mountain sickness

American  

noun

Pathology.
  1. altitude sickness.


mountain sickness British  

noun

  1. Also called: altitude sickness.  nausea, headache, and shortness of breath caused by climbing to high altitudes (usually above 12 000 ft)

  2. vet science a disease of cattle kept at high altitude in S and N America, characterized by congestive heart failure

"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

Etymology

Origin of mountain sickness

First recorded in 1840–50

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.

See Examples For:

In his defence, US Navy doctors said he had been suffering from acute mountain sickness at the time of the accident.

From BBC Feb. 17, 2024

The judge said it was hard to believe that Lieutenant Alkonis had suddenly fallen unconscious because of mountain sickness, in part because he had driven to a lower elevation before the accident.

From New York Times Feb. 21, 2023

In his appeal, Alkonis said he lost consciousness before the crash after suffering from acute mountain sickness following a hiking trip to Mount Fuji.

From Washington Times Jan. 11, 2023

The symptoms of acute mountain sickness include headache, nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath, loss of appetite, and flulike malaise, and they can all occur without any physical exertion.

From Slate Feb. 26, 2018

I was a bit weak after my attack of mountain sickness, and stuck to my pony's back the whole way.

From To Lhassa at Last by Millington, Powell

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