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.
2.
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.
3.
any harmful, depraved, or morbid condition, as of the mind or society: His fascination with executions is a disease.
4.
decomposition of a material under special circumstances: tin disease.
–verb (used with object)
5.
to affect with disease; make ill.
[Origin: 1300–50; ME disese < AF dese(a)se, disaise; see dis-1, ease]
A pathological condition of a part, organ, or system of an organism resulting from various causes, such as infection, genetic defect, or environmental stress, and characterized by an identifiable group of signs or symptoms.
A condition or tendency, as of society, regarded as abnormal and harmful.
Obsolete Lack of ease; trouble.
[Middle English disese, from Old French : des-, dis- + aise, ease; see ease.]
c.1330, "discomfort," from O.Fr. desaise, from des- "without, away" + aise "ease" (see ease). Sense of "sickness, illness" first recorded 1393; the word still sometimes was used in its lit. sense early 17c.
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.
Main Entry: dis·ease Pronunciation: diz-'Ez Function: noun : an impairment of the normal state of the living animal or plant body or one of its parts
that interrupts or modifies the performance of the vital functions and is a response to environmental factors (as malnutrition, industrial hazards, or climate), to specific infective agents (as worms,
bacteria, or viruses), to inherent defects of the organism (as genetic anomalies), or to combinations of these factors :SICKNESS, ILLNESS called also morbus; —compare HEALTH 1 —dis·eased/-'Ezd/adjective
Af*fec"tion\, n. [F. affection, L. affectio, fr. afficere. See Affect.]1. The act of affecting or acting upon; the state of being affected. 2. An attribute; a quality or property; a condition; a bodily state; as, figure, weight, etc., are affections of bodies. "The affections of quantity." --Boyle. And, truly, waking dreams were, more or less, An old and strange affection of the house. --Tennyson. 3. Bent of mind; a feeling or natural impulse or natural impulse acting upon and swaying the mind; any emotion; as, the benevolent affections, esteem, gratitude, etc.; the malevolent affections, hatred, envy, etc.; inclination; disposition; propensity; tendency. Affection is applicable to an unpleasant as well as a pleasant state of the mind, when impressed by any object or quality. --Cogan. 4. A settled good will; kind feeling; love; zealous or tender attachment; -- often in the pl. Formerly followed by to, but now more generally by for or towards; as, filial, social, or conjugal affections; to have an affection for or towards children. All his affections are set on his own country. --Macaulay. 5. Prejudice; bias. [Obs.] --Bp. Aylmer. 6. (Med.) Disease; morbid symptom; malady; as, a pulmonary affection. --Dunglison. 7. The lively representation of any emotion. --Wotton. 8. Affectation. [Obs.] "Spruce affection." --Shak. 9. Passion; violent emotion. [Obs.] Most wretched man, That to affections does the bridle lend. --Spenser. Syn: Attachment; passion; tenderness; fondness; kindness; love; good will. See Attachment; Disease.
Dis*ease"\, n. [OE. disese, OF. desaise; des- (L. dis-) + aise ease. See Ease.]1. Lack of ease; uneasiness; trouble; vexation; disquiet. [Obs.] So all that night they passed in great disease. --Spenser. To shield thee from diseases of the world. --Shak. 2. An alteration in the state of the body or of some of its organs, interrupting or disturbing the performance of the vital functions, and causing or threatening pain and weakness; malady; affection; illness; sickness; disorder; -- applied figuratively to the mind, to the moral character and habits, to institutions, the state, etc. Diseases desperate grown, By desperate appliances are relieved. --Shak. The instability, injustice, and confusion introduced into the public counsels have, in truth, been the mortal diseases under which popular governments have every where perished. --Madison. Disease germ. See under Germ. Syn: Distemper; ailing; ailment; malady; disorder; sickness; illness; complaint; indisposition; affection. -- Disease, Disorder, Distemper, Malady, Affection. Disease is the leading medical term. Disorder mean? much the same, with perhaps some slight reference to an irregularity of the system. Distemper is now used by physicians only of the diseases of animals. Malady is not a medical term, and is less used than formerly in literature. Affection has special reference to the part, organ, or function disturbed; as, his disease is an affection of the lungs. A disease is usually deep-seated and permanent, or at least prolonged; a disorder is often slight, partial, and temporary; malady has less of a technical sense than the other terms, and refers more especially to the suffering endured. In a figurative sense we speak of a disease mind, of disordered faculties, and of mental maladies.
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