What does "rickets" mean?
A disorder of infancy and early childhood due to a deficiency of vitamin D, causing soft or weak bones.
Rickets
/ˈɹɪkɪts/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A disorder of infancy and early childhood due to a deficiency of vitamin D, causing soft or weak bones.
- Grammar: rickets is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: anemia, ariboflavinosis, beriberi, bone disease.
- Useful contrasts: asymptomatic state, healthy skeleton, no deformities.
- Usage evidence: Rubella is also called 'German measles' in English, while Germans call rickets 'the English disease'.
How to use "rickets"
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- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "rickets" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "rickets" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "rickets" as the right word for your sentence.
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Compare nearby meanings
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- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "rickets" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "anemia" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
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Final meaning check
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When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A disorder of infancy and early childhood due to a deficiency of vitamin D, causing soft or weak bones. uncountable
- 2 childhood disease caused by deficiency of vitamin D and sunlight associated with impaired metabolism of calcium and phosphorus wordnet
Verb
- 1 third-person singular simple present indicative of ricket form-of, indicative, present, singular, third-person
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
asymptomatic statehealthy skeletonno deformitiesnormal bone mineralization
Example
"Rubella is also called 'German measles' in English, while Germans call rickets 'the English disease'."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "rickets"?
Common synonyms include: anemia, ariboflavinosis, beriberi, bone disease, cachexia, chlorosis.
How do you use "rickets" in a sentence?
Rubella is also called 'German measles' in English, while Germans call rickets 'the English disease'.
How do you pronounce "rickets"?
Pronounced /ˈɹɪkɪts/.
Etymology
Unknown. Originally a local name for the disease in Dorset and Somerset, England. Occasionally postulated to be derived from a Dorsetian dialectal term *rucket (“to breathe with difficulty, wheeze”), but the semantic connection is tenuous. See rachitis, but the medical name was chosen purposefully by English physician Daniel Whistler from phonetic similarity to rickets.