| Blount-Barber disease | <disease> An acquired disease of the tibial bone of the leg, seen in young children. It will cause the leg to bow in an outward direction. (27 Sep 1997) |
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| Blount's disease | <disease> An acquired disease of the tibial bone of the leg, seen in young children. It will cause the leg to bow in an outward direction. (27 Sep 1997) |
| brace | 1. To furnish with braces; to support; to prop; as, to brace a beam in a building. 2. To draw tight; to tighten; to put in a state of tension; to strain; to strengthen; as, to brace the nerves. "And welcome war to brace her drums." (Campbell) 3. To bind or tie closely; to fasten tightly. "The women of China, by bracing and binding them from their infancy, have very little feet." (Locke) "Some who spurs had first braced on." (Sir W. Scott) 4. To place in a position for resisting pressure; to hold firmly; as, he braced himself against the crowd. "A sturdy lance in his right hand he braced." (Fairfax) 5. To move around by means of braces; as, to brace the yards. To brace about, to turn (a yard) by hauling in the weather brace. To brace one's self, to call up one's energies. "He braced himself for an effort which he was little able to make." - To brace to, to turn (a yard) as far forward as the rigging will permit. Origin: Braced; Bracing. 1. That which holds anything tightly or supports it firmly; a bandage or a prop. 2. A cord, ligament, or rod, for producing or maintaining tension, as a cord on the side of a drum. "The little bones of the ear drum do in straining and relaxing it as the braces of the war drum do in that." (Derham) 3. The state of being braced or tight; tension. "The laxness of the tympanum, when it has lost its brace or tension." (Holder) 4. A piece of material used to transmit, or change the direction of, weight or pressure; any one of the pieces, in a frame or truss, which divide the structure into triangular parts. It may act as a tie, or as a strut, and serves to prevent distortion of the structure, and transverse strains in its members. A boiler brace is a diagonal stay, connecting the head with the shell. 5. A vertical curved line connecting two or more words or lines, which are to be taken together; thus, boll, bowl; or, in music, used to connect staves. 6. A rope reeved through a block at the end of a yard, by which the yard is moved horizontally; also, a rudder gudgeon. 7. <mechanics> A curved instrument or handle of iron or wood, for holding and turning bits, etc.; a bitstock. 8. A pair; a couple; as, a brace of ducks; now rarely applied to persons, except familiarly or with some contempt. "A brace of greyhounds." "He is said to have shot . . . Fifty brace of pheasants." (Addison) "A brace of brethren, both bishops, both eminent for learning and religion, now appeared in the church." (Fuller) "But you, my brace of lords." (Shak) 9. Straps or bands to sustain trousers; suspenders. "I embroidered for you a beautiful pair of braces." (Thackeray) 10. Harness; warlike preparation. "For that it stands not in such warlike brace." (Shak) 11. Armor for the arm; vantbrace. 12. <chemical> The mouth of a shaft. Angle brace. See Angle. Origin: OF. Brace, brasse, the two arms, embrace, fathom, F. Brasse fathom, fr. L. Bracchia the arms (stretched out), pl. Of bracchium arm; cf. Gr. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| cast brace | A specially designed plaster or plastic cast incorporating hinges and other brace components; used in the treatment of fractures to promote early activity and early joint motion. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Blount, Walter | <person> U.S. Orthopedic surgeon, *1900. See: Blount's disease, Blount-Barber disease. (05 Mar 2000) |
| aaa disease | Endemic anaemia of ancient Egypt, ascribed in the Papyrus Ebers to intestinal infestation with ancylostoma; now called ancylostomiasis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| ABO haemolytic disease of the newborn | Erythroblastosis foetalis due to maternal-foetal incompatibility with respect to an antigen of the ABO blood group; the foetus possesses A or B antigen which is lacking in the mother, and the mother produces immune antibody which causes haemolysis of foetal erythrocytes. (05 Mar 2000) |
| accumulation disease | A disease characterised by abnormal accumulation of a metabolic product in certain cells and tissues; examples include the mucopolysaccharidoses, lipoidoses. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Acosta's disease | A condition that results from prolonged exposure to high altitude. Symptoms include a continuous dry cough, shortness of breath, poor exercise tolerance, dizziness, headache, sleep difficulty, anorexia, confusion, fatigue and a rapid pulse. Treatment includes the immediate movement to a lower altitude. Prophylaxis has been accomplished successfully with the use of acetazolamide (Diamox). (27 Sep 1997) |
| acquired immunodeficiency disease | Acquired immunodeficiency disease: Disease caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). (12 Dec 1998) |
| acute disease | Disease having a short and relatively severe course. (12 Dec 1998) |
| Adams-Stokes disease | <syndrome> Transient asystole or ventricular fibrillation in the presence of atrioventricular block. (12 Dec 1998) |
| Addison-Biermer disease | <haematology> A form of anaemia (low red blood cell counts) that results when the bone marrow fails to produce adequate numbers of red blood cells due to a deficiency in vitamin B12. Intrinsic factor, necessary for normal B12 absorption, may be the underlying cause for B12 deficiency if is not produced in the gastric glands (in the stomach). Origin: Gr. Haima = blood (27 Sep 1997) |
| Addison's disease | <endocrinology> A rare endocrine disease that results from the underproduction of aldosterone and cortisol (hormones) by the adrenal glands. Symptoms include weakness, low blood pressure, anaemia, low blood sugar and electrolyte abnormalities. (27 Sep 1997) |
| adult-onset still's disease | Although Still's disease was first described in children, it is known to begin in adults. See: Still's disease. (12 Dec 1998) |