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rachitic

rachitic

9.9
Having weak or bent bones, often in children who do not get enough sunlight
  • adjective
  • /ræˈkɪtɪk/
  • Specialized
translation icon : raquítico
  • Doctors confirmed that his rachitic symptoms included bow legs and poor bone growth.

Examples

  • Gaunt, rachitic, rotten-toothed, plagued by recurrent fevers and jaw-clattering chills, he endured for years.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • The child's rachitic condition made his bones weak and prone to fractures.

  • Children who are rachitic often experience severe dental issues due to brittle teeth.

Synonyms

rickety
vsrachitic
2 7.0

Physically weak, often with shaky or bent legs

is due to rickets causing weak or deformed bones

Antonyms

695 1.0

In good body and mind condition without sickness or injury

Compounds

rachitic condition
  • Specialized
9.9

A bone illness in young children caused by not having enough vitamin D that makes bones weak or deformed

Surface Forms

rachitic positive

Morphology

rachitic = rickets (semi-transparent) = rachit + ic

The adjective denotes 'relating to rickets', but it uses the medical combining form 'rachit-' rather than the more familiar 'rickets', so the relation is not fully transparent to learners.

Etymology

Rachitic comes from a Greek word rachis, which means 'spine' or 'backbone'. So rachitic describes the weak or bent bones you see in rickets, especially in the spine and legs.