KURU

kuru

(noun) a progressive disease of the central nervous system marked by increasing lack of coordination and advancing to paralysis and death within a year of the appearance of symptoms; thought to have been transmitted by cannibalistic consumption of diseased brain tissue since the disease virtually disappeared when cannibalism was abandoned

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

kuru (uncountable)

A chronic, progressive, fatal central nervous system disease found mainly among the Fore and neighboring peoples of New Guinea, caused by a prion that probably resembles the scrapie agent of sheep, transmissible to nonhuman primates, and believed to be transmitted by ritual cannibalism.

Synonyms

• laughing death

• laughing sickness

Anagrams

• Uruk, ruku'

Source: Wiktionary



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Word of the Day

3 March 2025

STAND

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