beriberi
noun
Forms beriberis beri-beri
- noun (pathology) An ailment caused by a deficiency of thiamine (vitamin B1), leading to lethargy and organ complications.
Synonyms
Etymology
Possibly borrowed from Sinhalese phrase බැරි බැරි (bæri bæri, “I cannot, I cannot”) due to weakness.
Webster’s 1913
- noun An acute disease occurring in India, characterized by multiple inflammatory changes in the nerves, producing great muscular debility, a painful rigidity of the limbs, and cachexy.
Etymology [Singhalese beri weakness.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “beriberi”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details