| Back | scurvy /SKUHR-vee/ |
|---|---|
| Front | adjective Mean or contemptible. noun A disease caused by vitamin C deficiency, characterized by swollen and bleeding gums, bleeding under the skin, and weakness. [From Old English scurf, probably from Old Norse. Ultimately from the Indo-European root sker- (cut), which also gave us decorticate, excoriate, hardscrabble, incarnadine, scrobiculate, and caruncle. Earliest documented use: 1529.] “When a scurvy band of outlaws rides up, Jake, to his surprise and certainly theirs, eliminates them in short order.” - Peter Rainer; Daniel Craig Stars in Cowboys & Aliens; The Christian Science Monitor (Boston, Massachusetts); Jul 29, 2011. |
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