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a chronic degenerative, often episodic disease of the central nervous system marked by patchy destruction of the myelin that surrounds and insulates nerve fibers, usually appearing in young adulthood and manifested by one or more mild to severe neural and muscular impairments, as spastic weakness in one or more limbs, local sensory losses, bladder dysfunction, or visual disturbances.
multiple sclerosis
British
noun
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Also called: disseminated sclerosis.
a chronic progressive disease of the central nervous system characterized by loss of some of the myelin sheath surrounding certain nerve fibres and resulting in speech and visual disorders, tremor, muscular incoordination, partial paralysis, etc
"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
multiple sclerosis
Scientific
/ sklə-rō′sĭs /
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A chronic degenerative disease of the central nervous system in which gradual destruction of myelin occurs in the brain or spinal cord or both, interfering with the nerve pathways and causing muscular weakness, loss of coordination, and speech and visual disturbances. It occurs chiefly in young adults and is thought to be caused by a defect in the immune system that may be of genetic or viral origin.
multiple sclerosis
Cultural
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A chronic disease of the central nervous system characterized by the hardening of patches of tissue in the brain and spinal cord. The cause of this disease has to do with damage to the sheathes of nerves, and there is no specific treatment. It occurs in varying degrees of severity and, in the worst case, can result in permanent paralysis.
Etymology
First recorded in 1880–85
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any
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Tom Youngs: Former Cambridge United, Northampton Town and Bury player died from complications from multiple sclerosis.
From
BBC
The French pharmaceutical company expects the FDA to delay a decision on tolebrutinib as a treatment for nonrelapsing secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.
From
The Wall Street Journal
It said the same drug didn’t meet its primary endpoint in delaying disease progression in primary progressive multiple sclerosis in a late-stage Phase 3 trial.
From
MarketWatch
As a result, the company said it wouldn’t pursue regulatory registration in primary progressive multiple sclerosis and would assess whether it needs to book an impairment charge on the value of tolebrutinib.
From
The Wall Street Journal
CAR-T treatments have been a cancer breakthrough, and are beginning to make a dent in aut0-immune disorders like lupus and multiple sclerosis.
From
Barron's
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.