| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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| pellagra |
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| SYLLABICATION: | pel·lag·ra |
| PRONUNCIATION: |  p -l g r, -l gr, -lä |
| NOUN: | A disease caused by a deficiency of niacin and protein in the diet and characterized by skin eruptions, digestive and nervous system disturbances, and eventual mental deterioration. | | ETYMOLOGY: | Italian : pelle, skin (from Latin pellis; see pel-3 in Appendix I) + -agra, a seizure (from Latin, from Greek -agr, from agr, a seizing; see ag- in Appendix I). | | OTHER FORMS: | pel·lagrous —ADJECTIVE
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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