scrapie

American  

[skrey-pee, skrap-ee] / ˈskreɪ pi, ˈskræp i /

noun

Veterinary Pathology.

1. a usually fatal brain disease of sheep, characterized by twitching of the neck and head, grinding of the teeth, and scraping of itching portions of skin against fixed objects with a subsequent loss of wool: thought to be caused by an infectious prion.

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scrapie British  

/ ˈskreɪpɪ /

noun

1. a disease of sheep and goats: one of a group of diseases (including BSE in cattle) that are caused by a protein prion, and result in spongiform encephalopathy

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scrapie Scientific  

/ skrā′pē,skrăp′ē /

1. A usually fatal, infectious disease of sheep and goats that is marked by chronic itching, loss of muscular coordination, and progressive deterioration of the central nervous system, thought to be caused by a prion.

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Etymology

Origin of scrapie

First recorded in 1905–10; scrap(e) + -ie

Example Sentences

Other animals have their prion diseases: scrapie in sheep and chronic wasting disease in deer and other cervids, which has been reported in 32 U.S states and five Canadian provinces.

From Science Magazine • Mar. 21, 2024

The most closely related animal disease is scrapie in sheep.

From New York Times • Jan. 8, 2018

She diagnosed the killer as chronic wasting disease, a cousin to “mad cow disease,” scrapie in sheep and the always-fatal Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans.

From Washington Times • May 17, 2017

Similar to mad cow disease in cattle and scrapie in sheep, it is transmitted between animals.

From Chicago Tribune • Jan. 23, 2015

And, man, if it was possible, I would be dooms glad to be out o’ this bit scrapie.

From The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition Vol. 24 (of 25) by Stevenson, Robert Louis