Addison's disease

noun

A disorder in which the adrenal glands fail to produce a sufficient quantity of steroids, causing hypocortisolemia and a resultant brownish discoloration of the skin.

Similar
Addisonianismbronzed skin diseasechronic adrenal insufficiencyhypoadrenocorticismhypocorticismhypocortisolismprimary adrenal insufficiencyAddison's syndrome
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Meanings

nounAddison's disease (uncountable)
  1. uncountablemedicineA disorder in which the adrenal glands fail to produce a sufficient quantity of steroids, causing hypocortisolemia and a resultant brownish discoloration of the skin.

    Nearly thirty years before the date of Addison's discovery, his eminent colleague, Dr. Bright, had observed and recorded, in his celebrated 'Reports of Medical Cases,' a case of Addison's disease.

    1875, Edward Headlam Greenhow, Addison's Disease, Lindsay and Blackston, page 6

    Synonyms: Addisonianism, bronzed skin disease, chronic adrenal insufficiency, hypoadrenocorticism, hypocorticism, hypocortisolism, primary adrenal insufficiency

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA disorder in which the adrenal glands fail to produce a sufficient quantity of steroids, causing hypocortisolemia and a resultant brownish discoloration of the skin.

Similar
Addisonianismbronzed skin diseasechronic adrenal insufficiencyhypoadrenocorticismhypocorticismhypocortisolismprimary adrenal insufficiency

More synonyms by meaning

nouna glandular disorder caused by failure of function of the cortex of the adrenal gland and marked by anemia and prostration with brownish skin

Similar
Addison's syndromehypoadrenalismhypoadrenocorticism
Broader
glandular diseasegland diseaseglandular disorder
Also see
chronic adrenal insufficiencyhypoadrenalismhypoadrenocorticismhypocorticismprimary adrenal insufficiency

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

Named after Dr. Thomas Addison (1793-1860), of London, who first described it.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic مَرَض أَدِيسُون
  • مَرَض أَدِيسُون (maraḍ ʔadisun)Addison's disease
Chinese Mandarin 愛迪生病 /爱迪生病
  • 愛迪生病 /爱迪生病 (Àidíshēng bìng)Addison's disease
Czech Addisonova choroba
  • Addisonova chorobaAddison's disease
Dutch ziekte van Addison
  • ziekte van AddisonAddison's disease
Finnish Addisonin tauti
  • Addisonin tautiAddison's disease
French maladie d'Addison
  • maladie d'AddisonAddison's disease
German Addison-Krankheit
  • Addison-KrankheitAddison's disease
Hungarian Addison-kór
  • Addison-kórAddison's disease
Japanese アジソン病
  • アジソン病 (Ajison-byō)Addison's disease
Korean 애디슨 병
  • 애디슨 병 (Aediseun byeong)Addison's disease
Portuguese doença de Addison, mal de Addison
  • doença de AddisonAddison's disease
  • mal de AddisonAddison's disease
Russian боле́знь Аддисо́на
  • боле́знь Аддисо́на (boléznʹ Addisóna)Addison's disease
Cite this entry
APA

Addison's disease. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Addison's%20disease

MLA

“Addison's disease.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Addison's%20disease. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Addison's disease,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Addison's%20disease.

Source: Addison's disease on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.