disease

[ dih-zeez ]
/ dɪˈziz /

noun

a disordered or incorrectly functioning organ, part, structure, or system of the body resulting from the effect of genetic or developmental errors, infection, poisons, nutritional deficiency or imbalance, toxicity, or unfavorable environmental factors; illness; sickness; ailment.
any abnormal condition in a plant that interferes with its vital physiological processes, caused by pathogenic microorganisms, parasites, unfavorable environmental, genetic, or nutritional factors, etc.
any harmful, depraved, or morbid condition, as of the mind or society: His fascination with executions is a disease.
decomposition of a material under special circumstances: tin disease.

verb (used with object), dis·eased, dis·eas·ing.

to affect with disease; make ill.

Origin of disease

1300–50; Middle English disese < Anglo-French dese(a)se, disaise; see dis-1, ease

OTHER WORDS FROM disease

dis·eas·ed·ly, adverb dis·eas·ed·ness, noun

Example sentences from the Web for disease

British Dictionary definitions for disease

disease
/ (dɪˈziːz) /

noun

any impairment of normal physiological function affecting all or part of an organism, esp a specific pathological change caused by infection, stress, etc, producing characteristic symptoms; illness or sickness in general
a corresponding condition in plants
any situation or condition likened to this the disease of materialism

Other words from disease

Related adjective: pathological

Word Origin for disease

C14: from Old French desaise; see dis- 1, ease

Medical definitions for disease

disease
[ dĭ-zēz ]

n.

A pathological condition of a body part, an organ, or a system resulting from various causes, such as infection, genetic defect, or environmental stress, and characterized by an identifiable group of signs or symptoms.