tropical sprue
1
9.1
- noun
- /ˈtrɒpɪkəl spruː/
- Specialized
:
sprue tropical
- Researchers are still studying the exact cause of tropical sprue, which remains unclear despite decades of investigation.
Examples
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Many people in tropical regions suffer from tropical sprue.
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Doctors in the region suspected the patient suffered from tropical sprue due to her persistent symptoms.
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Proper diagnosis and dietary management can significantly improve outcomes for those with tropical sprue.
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The symptoms of tropical sprue include diarrhea and weight loss.
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Tropical sprue is often seen in people who live in areas with warm climates and poor nutrition, leading to tropical sprue.
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Patients with tropical sprue frequently experience diarrhea and significant weight loss.
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Medical studies show that tropical sprue can lead to severe malnutrition if left untreated.
Synonyms
1
9.9
A long illness of the small intestine that stops it absorbing food properly, causing diarrhea and weight loss
A long-lasting illness that makes the body not take in food, causing smelly diarrhea and weight loss
How Severe
- Specialized
29
5.1
- Specialized
1
9.1
- Specialized
1
8.9
- Specialized
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is compositionally transparent: 'tropical' specifies the geographic context and 'sprue' names the intestinal disorder, so the meaning 'sprue occurring in tropical regions' is directly derivable from the parts. Adjective + disease noun combinations are cross-linguistically common and follow standard English modification patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both words would understand the MWE.
Etymology
Tropical sprue combines tropical (from hot countries) and sprue, an old word for a wasting gut illness. One popular story says doctors used this name for a long sickness in warm places that made people 'lose weight' and 'not take in nutrients', so today tropical sprue means that chronic gut disease found in the tropics.