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sickness

n.
US //ˈsɪknəs// UK //sˈɪknəs// sick·ness
  1. 1 nausea (n.)
    B1 Intermediate Medicine

    the feeling that you are going to vomit.

    a sensation of nausea or the act of vomiting. Often used in compound words like 'travel sickness' or 'sea sickness'.

    Example

    The bumpy car ride gave the children a feeling of sickness.

    Example

    She suffered from severe morning sickness during the first trimester, making it difficult to maintain her usual work schedule.
  2. 2 grammatical error (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Science

    using a rare or difficult grammar form in the wrong place.

    the analogical misuse of a rarer or marked grammatical case in place of a more common or unmarked one.

    Example

    The professor explained how certain language learners develop a sickness in their use of case endings.

    Example

    The paper argues that the observed sickness in the dialect's case system is a result of prolonged contact with neighboring languages.

    Usage

    Used specifically within the field of linguistics to describe certain types of morphological errors.

    Teacher's tip

    This is a highly specialized term in linguistics; general learners will never encounter it outside of academic study.

Origin

From Middle English sikness, from Old English sēocnes. By surface analysis, sick + -ness.

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