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Glite Dictionary
bis-phossy jaw

bis-phossy jaw

9.9
A serious disease that makes the jaw bone die after working with white phosphorus in match factories
  • noun
  • /bɪsˈfɔsi dʒɔ/
  • Archaic
translation icon : mandíbula bis-fosforosa
  • Prolonged exposure to white phosphorus in match factories could lead to severe cases of bis-phossy jaw among workers.

Examples

  • Workers in the match industry suffered from bis-phossy jaw for decades.

  • Prolonged exposure to phosphorus in factories could result in bis-phossy jaw among workers.

  • The surgeon had seen several cases of bis-phossy jaw during his career in industrial towns.

  • Today, strict regulations prevent outbreaks of bis-phossy jaw in the workforce.

  • The term bis-phossy jaws refers to a serious condition.

  • The dentist explained that bis-phossy jaw is caused by necrosis of the jawbone due to exposure to harmful chemicals.

  • Regulations have been implemented to prevent bis-phossy jaw in workers exposed to toxic substances like white phosphorus.

Surface Forms

bis-phossy jaw singular
bis-phossy jaws plural

Morphology

bis-phossy + jaw

The element 'bis-phossy' is a technical/historical/form-specific marker not found in general dictionaries and does not yield a predictable meaning for a B1 learner; only 'jaw' is transparent. The full phrase names a specific medical condition (necrosis of the jaw from white‑phosphorus exposure) that requires domain knowledge, so the meaning cannot be derived from its parts.

Etymology

Bis-phossy jaw comes from old match factories: the part phossy comes from 'phosphorus' and workers who breathed white phosphorus often had the bone in their jaw begin to die and break down. So, the term refers to 'severe jaw damage' caused by phosphorus exposure.