scurvy

American  

[skur-vee] / ˈskɜr vi /

noun

1. Pathology. a disease marked by swollen and bleeding gums, livid spots on the skin, prostration, etc., due to a diet lacking in vitamin C.

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adjective

scurvier, scurviest

1. contemptible; despicable; mean.

   a scurvy trick.

scurvy British  

/ ˈskɜːvɪ /

noun

1. a disease caused by a lack of vitamin C, characterized by anaemia, spongy gums, bleeding beneath the skin, and (in infants) malformation of bones and teeth

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adjective

1. mean or despicable

   a scurvy knave

scurvy Scientific  

/ skûr′vē /

1. A disease caused by vitamin C deficiency, characterized by bleeding of the gums, rupture of capillaries under the skin, loose teeth, and generalized weakness.

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Other Word Forms

• scurviness
  noun
• scurvily
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of scurvy

First recorded in 1555–65; scurf + -y ¹

Explanation

If you are a pirate who doesn't get to shore very often to shop for fresh fruits and veggies, you might suffer from scurvy, a disease caused by vitamin C deficiency. Scurvy has some alarming symptoms: your gums become soft and tender and your teeth fall out. Scurvy has become a rarity in most parts of the world, but in regions where food is scarce and malnutrition common, it's still a problem. The unpleasant associations of the word also make it a colorful (and archaic) way to describe something low-down and miserable, as in "that was a scurvy trick you played on me, you dastardly cur!"

Example Sentences

Cases include electrocution, drowning, overdose, scurvy, sickle cell anemia, a nail in the chest, a fastball in the eye and gallstones, with all the personal drama one expects from a hospital show.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 4, 2025

"Apparently around fishes' eyes is all vitamins, so she never had scurvy or anything."

From BBC • Mar. 15, 2025

Early white settlers, according to the Oregon Encyclopedia, would eat cranberries as a source of vitamin C to prevent scurvy, “and the berry’s naturally waxy coating allowed for long keeping.”

From Seattle Times • Nov. 18, 2023

For decades, historian Kenneth Carpenter writes, protein was considered the sole nutrient for human health despite emerging knowledge that fruits, vegetables, and milk eased conditions like scurvy and rickets.

From National Geographic • Nov. 9, 2023

If there had been any irons aboard, they would have been occupied by the fumbling landlubber or scurvy swab who forgot his duties and made Dad miss the mooring.

From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey

Related Words

• dismal
• distressing
• insignificant
• lamentable
• miserable
• paltry
• pathetic
• sad
• shabby
• sorry
• touching
• woeful
• wretched