Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A disease of very early life, characterized by a perversion of nutrition of the bones, by which uncalcified osteoid tissue is formed in place of bone, and the resorption of bone is quickened.
  • noun In botany, a disease producing abortion of the fruit or seed.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Med.) Literally, inflammation of the spine, but commonly applied to the rickets. See rickets.
  • noun (Bot.) A disease which produces abortion in the fruit or seeds.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun pathology rickets

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun childhood disease caused by deficiency of vitamin D and sunlight associated with impaired metabolism of calcium and phosphorus
  • noun inflammation of the vertebral column

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[New Latin rachītis, inflammation of the spine (adopted because of its similarity in sound to rickets), from Late Greek rhakhītis : Greek rhakhis, spine + Greek -ītis, -itis.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

New Latin, from Ancient Greek ῥαχις (rhakhis, "spine, ridge").

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Examples

  • This is due, supposedly, to a lack of mineral substance in the bony structure of the affected animals, and is known as rachitis -- commonly called rickets.

    Lameness of the Horse Veterinary Practitioners' Series, No. 1 John Victor Lacroix

  • This composition becomes an absolute essential in all cases of imperfect bone structure, such as rachitis, or rickets, constitutional disease of children, osteomalacia, tuberculosis of the bones, deformity of bone structure, such as curvature of the spine, etc.

    Valere Aude Dare to Be Healthy, Or, The Light of Physical Regeneration Louis Dechmann

  • At school, I was taught that rachitis results from an inadequate absorption of calcium or phosphate, although a lack of vitamin D is generally what leads to that deficiency.

    Pope's Felts, John H. 1980

  • I used "rickets" to refer to symptoms and not to the etiology of rachitis, just as I might say that Johnson's asthma was produced by kidney trouble.

    Pope's Felts, John H. 1980

  • The research carried out in recent years, in which Windaus himself has also played a leading part, has revealed the very important fact that, on being irradiated with ultraviolet light, this ergosterol assumes exactly the same properties as the antirachitic vitamin, "vitamin D", i.e. it will cure rachitis

    Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1927 and 1928 - Presentation Speech 1966

  • The research carried out in recent years, in which Windaus himself has also played a leading part, has revealed the very important fact that, on being irradiated with ultraviolet light, this ergosterol assumes exactly the same properties as the antirachitic vitamin, "vitamin D", i.e. it will cure rachitis

    Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1927 and 1928 - Presentation Speech 1966

  • Although Virchow finds on it evidences of rachitis in youth and of gout in old age, as well as of injuries, it nevertheless can not have been changed in its _fundamental form_ by any sickness, even according to Virchow.

    The Theories of Darwin and Their Relation to Philosophy, Religion, and Morality Rudolf Schmid

  • Its various forms of disease, -- such as deficient development of bone; osteomalacia, -- softening of the bones; flat foot; caries -- molecular decay or death of the bones, especially of the teeth, -- are based mostly upon rachitis (rickets).

    Valere Aude Dare to Be Healthy, Or, The Light of Physical Regeneration Louis Dechmann

  • Softening of the bones, known as osteomalacia, curvature of the spine, rachitis and many other terrible conditions of disease would not be known to humanity if proper precaution were taken in time.

    Valere Aude Dare to Be Healthy, Or, The Light of Physical Regeneration Louis Dechmann

  • Occasionally one may observe in suckling colts outward luxation of the patella wherein there is history of navel infection and no marked evidence of rachitis is present.

    Lameness of the Horse Veterinary Practitioners' Series, No. 1 John Victor Lacroix

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