cretin
[ kreet-n or, esp. British, kret-n ]
/ ˈkrit n or, esp. British, ˈkrɛt n /
noun
a person suffering from cretinism.
a stupid, obtuse, or mentally defective person.
Origin of cretin
1770–80; < French; Franco-Provençal
creitin, crestin human being, literally,
Christian (hence one who is human despite deformities)
OTHER WORDS FROM cretin
cre·ti·noid, adjective cre·tin·ous, adjective sem·i·cre·tin, nounWords nearby cretin
cretaceous,
cretan,
cretan bull,
crete,
cretic,
cretin,
cretinism,
cretinize,
cretonne,
cretons,
creuse
Example sentences from the Web for cretin
British Dictionary definitions for cretin
cretin
/ (ˈkrɛtɪn) /
noun
old-fashioned
a person afflicted with cretinism
offensive
a person considered to be extremely stupid
Derived forms of cretin
cretinoid, adjective cretinous, adjectiveWord Origin for cretin
C18: from French
crétin, from Swiss French
crestin, from Latin
Chrīstiānus
Christian, alluding to the humanity of such people, despite their handicaps
Medical definitions for cretin
cretin
[ krēt′n ]
n.
A person afflicted with cretinism.