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scurvy

UK/ˈskɜːvi/ US/ˈskɜɹvi/ uncommon archaic obsolete
noun (1) adjective (1)

noun

1.

a condition caused by deficiency of ascorbic acid (vitamin C)

Synonyms

adjective

1.

of the most contemptible kind

  • “abject cowardice”
  • “a low stunt to pull”
  • “a low-down sneak”
  • “his miserable treatment of his family”
  • “You miserable skunk!”
  • “a scummy rabble”
  • “a scurvy trick”
Synonyms
Similar

Origin

The adjective is derived from Late Middle English scurvi, scurvy, variants of scurfi (“having scurf, scabby”), from scurf (“skin disease causing scabs or scales; flakes of skin that fall off due to a skin disease, etc.”) + -i (suffix forming adjectives). Scurf is derived from Old English scurf, from Proto-Germanic *skurf- (“to gnaw”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to cut off, sever; to divide, separate”). By surface analysis, scurf (“skin disease; flakes of skin that fall off due to a skin disease; crust-like formations on the skin”) + -y (suffix meaning ‘having the quality of’ forming adjectives). The noun is derived from the adjective. It was used to translate the similar-sounding Dutch scheurbuik, French scorbut, Middle Low German schorbūk (“scurvy (disease)”), etc.

Phrases

  • button scurvy

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.