kwashiorkor
noun
kwash·i·or·kor ˌkwä-shē-ˈȯr-kər 
-ȯr-ˈkȯr
-ȯr-ˈkȯr : severe malnutrition in infants and children especially of impoverished regions caused by a diet low in protein
Word History
Etymology
Ga (Kwa language of coastal Ghana) kwàṣìɔkɔ́ influence a child is said to be under when a second child comes
First Known Use
1935, in the meaning defined above
Medical Definition
kwashiorkor
noun
kwa·shi·or·kor ˌkwäsh-ē-ˈȯr-kȯr -ȯ(r)-ˈkȯr
-ȯ(r)-ˈkȯr : severe malnutrition chiefly affecting young children especially of impoverished regions that is characterized by failure to grow and develop, changes in the pigmentation of the skin and hair, edema, fatty degeneration of the liver, anemia, and apathy and is caused by a diet excessively high in carbohydrate and extremely low in protein compare pellagra