mad cow disease
18
3.8
- noun
- /mæd kaʊ dɪˈziz/
- Specialized
:
encefalopatía espongiforme bovina
- The recent outbreak of mad cow disease has raised concerns about food safety in the region.
- mad cow disease encephalopathy
- spongiform mad cow disease
- mad cow disease (BSE)
A last example, mad cow disease.
- A last example, mad cow disease.
Examples
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Kappes also notes the possibility of being able to identify cows that are resistant to bovine spongiform encephalopathy—or mad cow disease—by knowing what DNA changes are responsible for the resistance.
Academic text (2005) -
BSE, colloquially known as "mad cow disease," causes cattle to progressively lose motor control and eventually die.
Academic text (2013) -
Downed cows can pose an increased risk for mad cow disease and other diseases.
Blog text (26) -
Here in the United States, we have at least four cases of mad cow disease but I'm almost positive there's more cases of that that the government is looking for.
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Mad cow disease is a chronic, degenerative disorder that affects the central nervous system of cattle.
Academic text (2005) -
In early 2003, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization reported that more than one-third of the global meat trade was being embargoed as a result of mad cow disease, avian influenza, and other livestock illnesses.
Academic text (2005) -
SPP leaders also point to the coordination of a common North American approach to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, or mad cow disease) as a notable success story.
Academic text (2006) -
Now, the ARS-ISU team is expanding its fluorescent spectroscopy technology in hopes that it could be used to diagnose transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, including mad cow disease, in live animals.
Academic text (2005) -
Scientists are studying how mad cow disease spreads among cattle to prevent future infections.
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Farmers are implementing strict measures to avoid mad cow disease affecting their livestock.
Synonyms
5
7.2
A deadly brain disease in cows that makes them act strangely and die
A deadly brain disease in cows that makes them unsteady and restless
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is compositionally transparent: 'mad' (crazy) + 'cow(s)' + 'disease' directly yields the idea of a disease affecting cows that causes abnormal/brain-related symptoms. This adjective+noun+disease pattern is common cross-linguistically (e.g. Spanish 'enfermedad de las vacas locas'), so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would infer the general meaning even if they might not grasp specific medical details.
Etymology
Mad cow disease comes from how sick cattle behaved: farmers saw mad cows acting confused, aggressive, or stumbling because their brains were damaged. That's why the phrase now means a deadly brain disease in cows that can sometimes make people sick if they eat infected meat.