scurvy
pronunciation
How to pronounce scurvy in British English:
UK [ˈskɜːvi]
How to pronounce scurvy in American English:
US [ˈskɜːrvi]
-
- Noun:
- a condition caused by deficiency of ascorbic acid (vitamin C)
-
- Adjective:
- of the most contemptible kind
Word Origin
- scurvy (n.)
- 1560s, noun use of adjective scurvy "covered with scabs, diseased, scorbutic" (early 15c.), variant of scurfy. It took on the narrower meaning of Dutch scheurbuik, French scorbut "scurvy," in reference to the disease characterized by swollen and bleeding gums, prostration, etc., perhaps from Old Norse skyrbjugr, which is perhaps literally "a swelling (bjugr) from drinking sour milk (skyr) on long sea voyages;" but OED has alternative etymology of Middle Dutch or Middle Low German origin, as "disease that lacerates the belly," from schoren "to lacerate" + Middle Low German buk, Dutch buik "belly."
Example
- 1. Amundsen depoted three times the supplies scott did ; scott starved and suffered scurvy .
- 2. In the old days , foreign sailors who abstained from vitamin-c-rich whale mattak sometimes died of scurvy .
- 3. The sicilians used lemon peel to make pickling brine and multiple cultures used it to prevent scurvy .
- 4. Not eating enough of them can result in problems such as scurvy , dermatitis or dry , scaly skin .
- 5. We need to know that they actually built those ships and aren 't just giant parasite wasps drifting through space after all the sailors on the ships died of scurvy .