disease

The definition of a disease is an illness or sickness with specific, well-defined symptoms that affects a person, plant or animal.

(noun)

An example of a disease is cancer.

See disease in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

any departure from health; illness in general
a particular destructive process in an organ or organism, with a specific cause and characteristic symptoms; specif., an illness; ailment
any harmful or destructive condition, as of society

Origin: ME disese, inconvenience, trouble, sickness < OFr desaise, discomfort < des-, dis- + aise, ease

transitive verb diseased, diseasing

to cause disease in; infect or derange: usually in pp.

Origin: ME disesen < OFr desaaisier < the n.

Related Forms:

See disease in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

A pathological condition of a part, organ, or system of an organism resulting from various causes, such as infection, genetic defect, or environmental stress, and characterized by an identifiable group of signs or symptoms.
A condition or tendency, as of society, regarded as abnormal and harmful.
Obsolete Lack of ease; trouble.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English disese

Origin: , from Old French

Origin: : des-, dis-

Origin: + aise, ease; see ease

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