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brain damage

brain damage

75 3.7
Injury to the brain that causes long term problems with how it works
  • noun
  • /breɪn ˈdæmɪdʒ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : daño cerebral
  • After the fall, the tests revealed signs of brain damage that could lead to long-term cognitive issues.
  • suffer brain damage
  • permanent brain damage
  • cause brain damage

All the words that I can manage because of all of my brain damage.

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Examples

  • The researchers focused on therapies that aim to repair brain damage caused by traumatic injuries.

  • Even NFL players in their 20s have been found to have brain damage.

    Academic text (2011)
  • OK, The story is very different for brain damage in kids.

  • You could get brain damage from that, you know?

  • If it is brain damage, she may never be able to walk again.

  • "The possibility of significant brain damage is very small," he said.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • But that you can actually cause brain damage just by not showing a child enough affection.

  • At higher levels, lead can cause brain damage, coma, and death.

    Academic text (1995)
  • After his truck jackknifed off a country road, he sustained severe brain damage.

    Academic text (2009)
  • An examination of his brain linked his depression to brain damage caused by repeated concussions sustained during his career.

    Academic text (2011)

How Severe

brain death
  • Specialized
4 5.8
brain damage
  • Specialized
75 3.7
concussion
144 5.3
minimal brain damage
  • Archaic
8.1

Surface Forms

brain damage singular
brain damages plural

Morphology

brain + damage

The meaning is directly and transparently derived from combining 'brain' (the organ controlling thought and memory) with 'damage' (injury or reduction of function). This straightforward noun–noun composition corresponds to a common, literal semantic relation and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

Brain damage is a simple picture: the brain is hurt and the damage is lasting harm that changes how it works. So, it means 'injury to the brain that causes lasting problems with how it works'.