scurvy
noun
[ ˈskəːvi ]
• a disease caused by a deficiency of vitamin C, characterized by swollen bleeding gums and the opening of previously healed wounds, which particularly affected poorly nourished sailors until the end of the 18th century.
• "the ravages of scurvy"
scurvy
adjective
• worthless or contemptible.
• "that was a scurvy trick"
Origin:
late Middle English (as an adjective meaning ‘scurfy’): from scurf + -y1. The noun use (mid 16th century) is by association with French scorbut (see scorbutic).
