radiation sickness

American  

noun

Pathology.

1. sickness caused by irradiation with x-rays or other nuclear radiation as a result of therapeutic treatment, accidental exposure, or a nuclear bomb explosion and characterized by nausea, vomiting, headache, cramps, diarrhea, loss of hair and teeth, destruction of white blood cells, and prolonged hemorrhage.

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radiation sickness British  

noun

1. pathol illness caused by overexposure of the body or a part of the body to ionizing radiations from radioactive material or X-rays. It is characterized by vomiting, diarrhoea, and in severe cases by sterility and cancer

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Etymology

Origin of radiation sickness

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

radiation sickness

He says they found another colleague standing on one of the turbines, apparently unhurt but vomiting - a sign of radiation sickness.

From BBC ● Apr. 18, 2026

“It’s a big relief to know that no one was hurt by radiation sickness in the process of recovering it,” Barger said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 19, 2023

Officials with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works are offering $1,000 for the return of a gauge that, if damaged, can cause radiation sickness.

From Washington Times ● Dec. 16, 2023

On the same day as his diary entry about inviting reporters, he had a phone conversation with a fellow officer at Oak Ridge about Japanese radio broadcasts reporting cases of radiation sickness.

From Slate ● Aug. 8, 2023

He knew a great deal about radiation sickness; apparently he had studied it even before the war.

From "Z for Zachariah" by Robert C. O’Brien