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Glite Dictionary
blind staggers

blind staggers

9.9
A disease in horses and cows that makes them walk unsteadily and fall often
  • noun
  • /blaɪnd ˈstæɡərz/
  • Specialized
translation icon : mareo ciego
  • Left untreated, blind staggers can result in serious injury or death to affected livestock.

Examples

  • The veterinarian diagnosed the horse with blind staggers after observing its unsteady walk.

  • The horse has blind staggers.

  • Farmers are warned to check their cattle for symptoms of blind staggers, especially after grazing in certain areas.

  • Watch out for blind staggers!

  • The veterinarian diagnosed the horse with blind staggers after noticing its unsteady gait.

  • Cattle suffering from blind staggers often struggle to maintain their balance in the field.

  • After the accident, the farmer was worried that his cow might have blind staggers due to its frequent falls.

Synonyms

ataxia
vsblind staggers
  • Specialized
3 9.9

A problem with controlling movements and balance that makes walking unsteady

describes a named livestock CNS illness rather than a general coordination problem
staggers
vsblind staggers
  • Specialized
9.9

A sickness in animals like horses that makes them walk unsteadily and fall often

is the same disease but expressed with a different name
motor ataxia
vsblind staggers
  • Specialized
8.5

Loss of control of muscle movements makes walking unsteady and staggering

refers to a named animal CNS disease rather than a general motor disorder

Surface Forms

blind staggers singular
blind stagger plural

Morphology

blind + staggers

The constituent 'staggers' already names a stumbling/falling condition, and 'blind' modifies it to suggest a more severe or uncontrollable form; a learner who knows both words can therefore infer an unsteady, falling disorder. However, the precise veterinary/CNS disease sense and the non-literal role of 'blind' are specialized and not fully predictable from the parts, so full understanding requires exposure.

Etymology

The term blind staggers may come from farmers seeing animals that looked like they could not see and kept swaying or falling, a literal mix of blind and staggers, where staggers means to walk unsteadily. So it became the name for a 'disease' that makes horses and cattle have an 'unsteady walk'.