: a disease caused by a lack of vitamin C and characterized by spongy gums, loosening of the teeth, and a bleeding into the skin and mucous membranes
Synonyms
Examples of scurvy in a Sentence
Adjective
after winning the lottery, she was beset by a whole scurvy swarm of con artists, ne'er-do-wells, and hangers-on
Recent Examples on the Web
Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Oct. 2024
Over 100 years of Antarctic agriculture is helping scientists grow food in space
Preventing scurvy is not just a problem in the Antarctic.
—Big Think, 24 June 2024
Richard Windsor, The Week Uk, theweek, 24 Oct. 2024
However, the good news is that scurvy is easy to combat and symptoms can be alleviated in as little as 24 hours.
—New Atlas, 22 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for scurvy 
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Noun
Doctors recently diagnosed scurvy in two patients living in distant parts of the planet, one in Canada and one in Australia.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Oct. 2024
Over 100 years of Antarctic agriculture is helping scientists grow food in space
Preventing scurvy is not just a problem in the Antarctic.
—Big Think, 24 June 2024
Adjective
Numerous factors are potentially fuelling a scurvy resurgence, notably nutrient-deficient diets.
—Richard Windsor, The Week Uk, theweek, 24 Oct. 2024
However, the good news is that scurvy is easy to combat and symptoms can be alleviated in as little as 24 hours.
—New Atlas, 22 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for scurvy
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Cite this Entry
“Scurvy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scurvy. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
scurvy
1 of 2 noun
scur·vy
ˈskər-vē 
: a disease caused by lack of vitamin C and characterized by loosening of the teeth, softening of the gums, and bleeding under the skin
Medical Definition
scurvy
noun
scur·vy
ˈskər-vē
plural scurvies
: a disease caused by a lack of vitamin C and characterized by spongy gums, loosening of the teeth, and bleeding into the skin and mucous membranes
called also scorbutus
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