Meanings
Lou Gehrig's disease1
alternative abbreviation Lou Gehrig's · alternative Lou Gehrig's Disease
- USuncountablemedicineSynonym of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
The “Euphoria” and “Grey’s Anatomy” actor announced on Thursday that he has been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
2025 April 10, Dan Heching, “Eric Dane shares that he has been diagnosed with ALS”, in CNNSynonyms: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Lou Gehrig's Disease2
- alternativeuncountableAlternative form of Lou Gehrig's disease.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounSynonym of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
More synonyms by meaning
nounthickening of tissue in the motor tracts of the lateral columns and anterior horns of the spinal cord; results in progressive muscle atrophy that starts in the limbs
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Named after New York Yankees baseball player Lou Gehrig (1903–1941), a prominent sufferer of the disease. The disease was known before Gehrig suffered it, but his fame led to his name being associated with it.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
Lou Gehrig's disease. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Lou%20Gehrig's%20disease
“Lou Gehrig's disease.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Lou%20Gehrig's%20disease. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Lou Gehrig's disease,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Lou%20Gehrig's%20disease.
Source: Lou Gehrig's disease on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.