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GOUT

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gout

[gout]
–noun
1. an acute, recurrent disease characterized by painful inflammation of the joints, chiefly those in the feet and hands, and esp. in the great toe, and by an excess of uric acid in the blood.
2. a mass or splash, as of blood; spurt.

Origin:
1250–1300; ME goute < OF < L gutta a drop (of fluid); gout in the feet formerly was attributed to drops of a corrupted humor
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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gout   (gout)   
n.  
  1. A disturbance of uric-acid metabolism occurring chiefly in males, characterized by painful inflammation of the joints, especially of the feet and hands, and arthritic attacks resulting from elevated levels of uric acid in the blood and the deposition of urate crystals around the joints. The condition can become chronic and result in deformity.

  2. A large blob or clot: "and makes it bleed great gouts of blood" (Oscar Wilde).


[Middle English goute, from Old French, drop, gout, from Medieval Latin gutta, from Latin, drop (from the belief that gout was caused by drops of morbid humors).]
gout'i·ness n., gout'y adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Cultural Dictionary

gout [(gowt)]

A disorder of metabolism characterized by attacks of painful inflammation in the joints, particularly those of the feet and hands. The inflammation is caused by the deposition of crystals of uric acid in the joints. Gout occurs most often in middle-aged men. The tendency toward developing gout is inherited. Stress, fatigue, or excessive exercise are among the factors that can bring on an attack.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

gout 
c.1290, from O.Fr. gote "gout, drop," from L. gutta "a drop," in M.L. "gout," of unknown origin. The disease was thought to be caused by drops of viscous humors seeping from the blood into the joints, which turned out to be close to the truth.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: gout
Pronunciation: 'gaut
Function: noun
: a metabolic disease marked by a painful inflammation of the joints, deposits of urates in and aroundthe joints, and usually an excessive amount of uric acid in the blood
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

gout (gout)
n.
An inherited disorder of uric-acid metabolism occurring predominantly in men, characterized by painful inflammation of the joints, especially of the feet and hands, and arthritic attacks resulting from elevated levels of uric acid in the blood and the deposition of urate crystals around the joints. The condition can become chronic and result in deformity.


gout'y adj.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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