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mountain sickness
noun
: altitude sickness experienced by mountain climbers or by those ascending or living especially above 8000 to 10,000 feet (about 2500 to 3000 meters) elevation and caused by insufficient oxygen in the air breathed
especially
: acute mountain sickness
Examples of mountain sickness in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Use this after a night of one too many cocktails, or simply add to your in-flight water to prevent dehydration or mountain sickness.
—Krista Simmons, Sunset Magazine, 4 July 2024
By Martin Enserink, Science Photography by Tom Bouyer, Expedition 5300
Journalist Martin Enserink journeyed high into the Andes to write about research into the effects of chronic mountain sickness — traveling, effectively, into thin air.
—Stat Staff, STAT, 24 Dec. 2019
These researchers would like to pave the way to therapies for chronic mountain sickness, but first need to better define what living and working at this altitude does to human bodies.
—Stat Staff, STAT, 24 Dec. 2019
This is essential to avoid mountain sickness and other altitude-associated health issues such as pulmonary and cerebral diseases.
—Sadeesh K. Ramakrishnan, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2019
Nearly one in four residents suffers from chronic mountain sickness, a condition caused by a long-term lack of oxygen.
—Eva Frederick, Science | AAAS, 13 Sep. 2019
The constant oxygen deprivation can cause syndrome called chronic mountain sickness (CMS), whose hallmark is an excessive proliferation of red blood cells.
—Xing Liu, Science Magazine, 12 Sep. 2019
Altitude sickness, also called mountain sickness, is a term encompassing three distinct conditions that occur at high elevations.
—Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, 20 Dec. 2018
After powering through unforgiving storms, hypothermia, and mountain sickness, the team completed the trek in 15 days and nine hours.
—National Geographic, 18 Apr. 2018
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Word History
First Known Use
1848, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of mountain sickness was
in 1848
Dictionary Entries Near mountain sickness
Cite this Entry
“Mountain sickness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mountain%20sickness. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
Medical Definition
mountain sickness
noun
: altitude sickness experienced especially above 8000 to 10,000 feet (about 2500 to 3000 meters) and caused by insufficient oxygen in the air
especially
: acute mountain sickness
More from Merriam-Webster on mountain sickness
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for mountain sickness
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about mountain sickness
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