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Definition of "kwashiorkor" []

  • Severe protein malnutrition, especially in children after weaning, marked by lethargy, growth retardation, anemia, edema, potbelly, skin depigmentation, and hair loss or change in hair color. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "kwashiorkor" in a sentence
  • "I notice one young boy's badly swollen feet: they're a sign of a medical condition known as kwashiorkor, or severe protein deficiency."
  • "She had what is called kwashiorkor i.e. severe protein and calorie malnutrition."
  • "It was assumed to be a traveler's version of the widespread tropical deficiency disease called kwashiorkor, from a Gold Coast term meaning "displaced child.""
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