rickets

[ rik-its ]

/ ˈrɪk ɪts /

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noun Pathology.

a disease of childhood, characterized by softening of the bones as a result of inadequate intake of vitamin D and insufficient exposure to sunlight, also associated with impaired calcium and phosphorus metabolism.

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Origin of rickets

First recorded in 1635–45; origin uncertain

Words nearby rickets

ricinolein, ricinus oil, rick, Rickenbacker, ricker, rickets, rickettsia, rickettsial disease, rickety, rickey, rickle

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use rickets in a sentence

Fischer has been endorsed by Sarah Palin and received big dollar donations from the Koch brothers and Joe Rickets.
Bob Kerrey Closes In On Reclaiming His Nebraska Senate Seat|John Avlon|October 29, 2012|DAILY BEAST
It is of temporary duration, and usually clears up when the symptoms of rickets have been eradicated.
The Mother and Her Child|William S. Sadler
Rickets (a disease of the bones) often follows in the wake of faulty feeding and unhygienic surroundings.
The Mother and Her Child|William S. Sadler
His make-up was that of a man completely worn out—one afflicted with physical and moral rickets.
The conquest of Rome|Matilde Serao

Rick′etly, shaky; Rick′ety, affected with rickets: feeble, unstable.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 3 of 4: N-R)|Various
Then John, he's got the rickets, and is used to be fed and taken care of.
Catholic World, Vol. XIII, April to September, 1871|Various

British Dictionary definitions for rickets

rickets

/ (ˈrɪkɪts) /

noun

(functioning as singular or plural) pathol a disease mainly of children, characterized by softening of developing bone, and hence bow legs, malnutrition, and enlargement of the liver and spleen, caused by a deficiency of vitamin D

Word Origin for rickets

C17: of unknown origin

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 rickets

rickets

[ rĭk′ĭts ]

A bone disease seen mostly in children, caused by a deficiency of vitamin D, usually as a result of inadequate dietary intake or lack of exposure to sunlight. This deficiency causes decreased calcium absorption from the intestine and abnormalities in formation and mineralization of skeletal bone, resulting in defective bone growth and deformity.