Definition of "osteomalacia" [‖Os•te•o•ma•la•ci•a]

• A disease occurring mostly in adult women that results from a deficiency in vitamin D or calcium and is characterized by a softening of the bones with accompanying pain and weakness. (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.

• "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."
• "And the condition has been linked to cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, several cancers, and autoimmune conditions as well as osteomalacia, which is the painful manifestation of soft bones in adults."
• "And inadequate intake can result in a softening of bone surfaces, called osteomalacia, which causes pain."