scurvy
n. uncountablen. a serious illness caused by a lack of vitamin C. It was very common in the past among sailors who did not have fresh fruit or vegetables to eat.
n. a disease caused by a deficiency of ascorbic acid (vitamin C), characterized by bleeding gums, bruising, and weakness. Historically prevalent in maritime environments where fresh produce was unavailable for extended periods.
The sailors suffered from scurvy after months at sea.
Before the discovery of vitamin C, scurvy was a leading cause of death among long-distance sailors who relied on preserved meats and hardtack.
The symptoms of scurvy, including the spontaneous rupture of small blood vessels and the loosening of teeth, were eventually mitigated by the mandatory inclusion of citrus fruits in naval rations.
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.