Machado-Joseph disease

noun

Ma·​cha·​do-Jo·​seph disease mə-ˌshä-dō-ˌjō-səf-, -ˌchä-, -dü-, -zəf- 

: ataxia of any of several phenotypically variant forms that are inherited as autosomal dominant traits, have an onset usually early in adult life, tend to occur in families of Portuguese and especially Azorean ancestry, and are characterized by progressive degeneration of the central nervous system