Ricketts

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The plural form referring to a bacterial disease affecting bones and joints in animals, typically caused by deficiency of vitamin D, calcium, or phosphate; also used as a surname in various contexts
2. A term denoting multiple instances of the disease that impairs bone development due to nutrient deficiencies, commonly observed in young mammals; additionally, a proper family name or title
3. Refers collectively to several cases of a skeletal disorder from inadequate mineralization in growing animals, leading to bone deformities; also serves as a last name for certain individuals or families

Etymology: Rickets is named after a man, or rather after a nickname for one. The name traces to "Rickett," a medieval diminutive of Richard, with the patronymic "-s" added, so the word literally means something like "son of little Richard." That a disease of growing bones should carry the name of a medieval Richard is one of the odder accidents of medical vocabulary. The surname-like form is the clue to how the disease got its name. The name reflects the family-name origin rather than any description of the condition itself, so the word tells us nothing about the bones or the symptoms. It is a label that stuck to a disease whose cause was not understood for centuries.

Synonyms: rickets