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pellagra

[ puh-lag-ruh, -ley-gruh, -lah- ]
/ pəˈlæg rə, -ˈleɪ grə, -ˈlɑ- /
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noun Pathology.
a disease caused by a deficiency of niacin in the diet, characterized by skin changes, severe nerve dysfunction, mental symptoms, and diarrhea.
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Origin of pellagra

1805–15; <Italian <New Latin: skin disease, equivalent to pell(is) skin + -agra<Greek ágra seizure

OTHER WORDS FROM pellagra

pel·la·grose, pel·la·grous, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use pellagra in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pellagra

pellagra
/ (pəˈleɪɡrə, -ˈlæ-) /

noun
pathol a disease caused by a dietary deficiency of nicotinic acid, characterized by burning or itching often followed by scaling of the skin, inflammation of the mouth, diarrhoea, mental impairment, etc

Derived forms of pellagra

pellagrous, adjective

Word Origin for pellagra

C19: via Italian from pelle skin + -agra, from Greek agra paroxysm
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

Scientific definitions for pellagra

pellagra
[ pə-lăgrə, -lāgrə ]

A disease caused by a lack of niacin in the diet, characterized by skin and digestive disorders and mental deterioration.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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