beriberi
Beriberi (noun) means a disease caused by a lack of thiamine (vitamin B1) that leads to tiredness and damage to the body's organs. Example: “Beriberi was once common among sailors on long voyages with a poor diet.”
How to use beriberi
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAn illness caused by not getting enough vitamin B1, which leaves the body weak and can harm its organs.
It is a medical term used in clinical and historical contexts rather than casual conversation.
The repeated syllable can make the word tricky to spell; it is simply beri written twice, with no hyphen in the standard form.
Trace the full origin ↓Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
_____ was once common among sailors on long voyages with a poor diet.
Etymology
The word may come from a Sinhalese phrase meaning roughly I cannot, I cannot, said to reflect the weakness the disease causes in sufferers.
