- a disease caused by a lack of vitamin C, characterized by anaemia, spongy gums, bleeding beneath the skin, and (in infants) malformation of bones and teeth
- mean or despicable
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
scur•vy /ˈskɜrvi/USA pronunciation
n., adj., -vi•er, -vi•est.
n. [uncountable]
adj.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026n. [uncountable]
- Pathologya disease marked by swollen and bleeding gums, caused by a lack of vitamin C.
adj.
- deserving contempt; despicable.
scur•vy
(skûr′vē),USA pronunciation n., adj., -vi•er, -vi•est.
n.
adj.
scur′vi•ly, adv.
scur′vi•ness, n.
n.
- Pathologya disease marked by swollen and bleeding gums, livid spots on the skin, prostration, etc., due to a diet lacking in vitamin C.
adj.
- contemptible;
despicable;
mean:a scurvy trick.
- scurf + -y1 1555–65
scur′vi•ness, n.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
scurvy /ˈskɜːvɪ/ n
'scurvy' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
antiscorbutic
- ascorbic acid
- deficiency disease
- limey
- Lind
- scorbutic
- scurvy grass
- lime-juicer
- whoreson
- scald