Down’s syndrome
noun /ˈdaʊnz sɪndrəʊm/
/ˈdaʊnz sɪndrəʊm/
(also Down's)
(both especially British English) (North American English usually Down syndrome)
[uncountable]- a medical condition, caused by a fault with one chromosome, in which a person is born with particular physical characteristics and a mental ability that is below average
- Around 50 per cent of Down's babies are born to mothers over 35.
Word Origin1960s: named after John L. H. Down (1828–96), the English physician who first described it.