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Glite Dictionary
CF

CF

17 4.9
A disease you inherit that causes thick mucus to build up in the lungs, intestines, and pancreas
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : fibrosis quística
  • Mothers who receive a CF diagnosis for their infant are obviously shocked and anxious.
  • CF personnel
  • CF program

Examples

  • Mothers who receive a CF diagnosis for their infant are obviously shocked and anxious.

    Academic text (2011)

  • Fun fact, I have to be extremely careful around other people with CF.

    Five Feet Apart (2019)

  • Children with previously life-limiting diseases such as CF are now often surviving into adult life and accessing adult services.

    Academic text (2011)

  • Young patients with CF experience difficulty adhering to exercise routines when the activity is tedious or disliked.

    Academic text (2018)

  • When the doctors told us it was CF, we knew we had to make some changes.

  • Fun fact, I have to be extremely careful around other people with CF.

Synonyms

cystic fibrosis
vsCF
  • Specialized
6 5.0

A serious inherited disease that makes thick sticky mucus in the lungs and other organs, causing breathing and digestion problems

is the abbreviated form used in place of the full medical name
mucoviscidosis
vsCF
  • Archaic
9.9

A serious inherited disease that makes thick mucus block the lungs, intestines, and pancreas

is the short written form used instead of the full medical name
fibrocystic disease of the pancreas
vsCF
  • Specialized
4.8

An inherited illness that makes thick mucus and causes breathing and digestion problems

is the short written form used instead of the longer descriptive name

Surface Forms

CF singular
CFs plural

Morphology

CF = cystic + fibrosis (opaque) = C + F

The form is an initialism (C + F) for the phrase 'cystic fibrosis'; the letters themselves do not convey the medical meaning to an average B1 learner unless they know the expanded medical terms.

Etymology

CF is a medical abbreviation for cystic fibrosis. The part cystic comes from 'small sac' and fibrosis means 'scarring', so the name shows how scar-like, thick mucus can block the lungs and other organs.