Huntington's chorea
1
8.7
- noun
- /ˈhʌntɪŋtənz kəˈriːə/
- Archaic
:
corea de Huntington
- Patients diagnosed with Huntington's chorea often experience symptoms that worsen over time.
Examples
-
The disease is called Huntington's chorea.
-
"No, but I have read of them—a study of Huntington's chorea, I think."
Fiction book (2001) -
Later, some would speculate that his restless creativity was the result of Huntington's chorea that turned him into an invalid for the last 15 years of his life.
Blog text (17) -
The disorder known as Huntington's chorea leads to involuntary movements and cognitive decline.
-
She became increasingly concerned about her family history of Huntington's chorea and its implications.
Synonyms
3
4.9
An illness passed from parents that slowly damages the brain, causing problems with movement, thinking, and memory
Surface Forms
Morphology
Huntington's + chorea
The form is a possessive proper name plus a medical noun: 'Huntington's' + 'chorea' (involuntary movements). A learner who knows both parts can infer it refers to a specific kind of chorea named after Huntington (i.e., a movement disorder), but the specific properties (hereditary, progressive neurodegeneration and dementia) are specialized medical details not predictable from the constituents.
Etymology
Huntington's chorea is named after the doctor George Huntington, who first described the illness, and the word chorea comes from an old Greek word meaning 'dance' because people with the disease make jerky, dance-like movements. That's why the name refers to a hereditary illness with uncontrolled movements and mental problems.