desert rheumatism
- noun
- /ˈdɛzərt ˈruːməˌtɪzəm/
- Archaic
:
reumatismo del desierto
- The doctor diagnosed her with desert rheumatism after she returned from the Southwest with respiratory symptoms.
Examples
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People with weakened immune systems are especially at risk for contracting desert rheumatism.
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In regions with dry, dusty climates, desert rheumatism is a common health concern.
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She was diagnosed with desert rheumatism last year.
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Many people in Arizona suffer from desert rheumatism.
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In regions with dry, dusty climates, desert rheumatism is a common health concern.
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The doctor diagnosed her with desert rheumatism after she returned from the Southwest with respiratory symptoms.
-
People with weakened immune systems are especially at risk for contracting desert rheumatism.
Synonyms
1
6.5
A lung infection from breathing in fungus spores in dry dusty areas that causes cough, fever, and sometimes skin lumps
1
9.9
An infection of the lungs by a fungus that causes cough, fever, and chest mucus and sometimes skin lumps
A lung and skin infection from a fungus in dry areas that causes cough and skin sores
Surface Forms
Morphology
desert + rheumatism
Although the constituents 'desert' and 'rheumatism' are individually interpretable, the phrase denotes coccidioidomycosis (a fungal lung/skin infection) rather than a literal rheumatic joint condition. The medical/archaic use of 'rheumatism' here is misleading and not compositionally predictable, so a B1 learner knowing the words would not reliably infer the actual meaning.
Etymology
Desert rheumatism is an old name that links where it happens and how it feels: people in dry, dusty desert areas breathed dust with tiny fungi and then had coughs and body aches like 'rheumatism'. That's why the name means a sickness from the desert that affects the lungs and causes aches, and today we know it as a fungal lung infection.