Ehlers-Danlos syndrome

noun

Any of a group of inherited connective tissue disorders caused by a defect in the synthesis of collagen, and resulting in abnormally elastic skin, joints, muscles, etc.

Meanings

nounEhlers-Danlos syndrome (countable and uncountable, plural Ehlers-Danlos syndromes)

plural Ehlers-Danlos syndromes

  1. countableuncountablemedicineAny of a group of inherited connective tissue disorders caused by a defect in the synthesis of collagen, and resulting in abnormally elastic skin, joints, muscles, etc.

    But [Lena] Dunham also writes, in a wry and rueful voice, about her struggles with painful chronic illness (Dunham has endometriosis and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome); […].

    2026 April 11, David Marchese, “Lena Dunham Is Still Trying to Figure Out Why People Hated Her So Much”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

    Synonyms: cutis hyperelastica, EDS

Synonyms & antonyms

nounAny of a group of inherited connective tissue disorders caused by a defect in the synthesis of collagen, and resulting in abnormally elastic skin, joints, muscles, etc.

Origin

Named after two doctors, Edvard Ehlers and Henri-Alexandre Danlos, who identified the syndrome at the turn of the 20th century.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 埃勒斯-當洛綜合徵 /埃勒斯-当洛综合征
  • 埃勒斯-當洛綜合徵 /埃勒斯-当洛综合征 (Āilèsī-Dāngluò zōnghézhēng)inherited disorder caused by a defect in the synthesis of collagen
Finnish Ehlers–Danlosin syndrooma
  • Ehlers–Danlosin syndroomainherited disorder caused by a defect in the synthesis of collagen
French Syndrome d'Ehlers-Danlos
  • Syndrome d'Ehlers-Danlosinherited disorder caused by a defect in the synthesis of collagen
German Ehlers–Danlos-Syndrom
  • Ehlers–Danlos-Syndrominherited disorder caused by a defect in the synthesis of collagen
Japanese エーラス・ダンロス症候群
  • エーラス・ダンロス症候群 (ērasu-danrosu shōkō-gun)inherited disorder caused by a defect in the synthesis of collagen
Portuguese síndrome de Ehlers-Danlos
  • síndrome de Ehlers-Danlosinherited disorder caused by a defect in the synthesis of collagen
Vietnamese hội chứng Ehlers-Danlos
  • hội chứng Ehlers-Danlosinherited disorder caused by a defect in the synthesis of collagen
Cite this entry
APA

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Ehlers-Danlos%20syndrome

MLA

“Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Ehlers-Danlos%20syndrome. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Ehlers-Danlos syndrome,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Ehlers-Danlos%20syndrome.

Source: Ehlers-Danlos syndrome on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.