Definition of "pellagra" [pel•la•gra]

• A disease caused by a deficiency of niacin and protein in the diet and characterized by skin eruptions, digestive and nervous system disturbances, and eventual mental deterioration. (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.

• "So you think a lot of what they called pellagra might a been something else."
• "Do you ever remember people having this disease they call pellagra?"
• "Likewise in pellagra the gastro-intestinal symptoms are responsive."