scrapie

noun

scra·​pie ˈskrā-pē How to pronounce scrapie (audio)
: a usually fatal prion disease of sheep and goats characterized by twitching, excitability, intense itching, excessive thirst, emaciation, weakness, and finally paralysis

Examples of scrapie in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web This is the clearest evidence yet that alpha-synuclein can behave like prions, the proteins that cause mad cow disease, scrapie and Creutzfeld-Jacob disease (CJD). Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 16 Nov. 2012 In this way, SOD1 is a lot like prions, the infectious proteins behind mad cow disease, CJD and scrapie. Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 14 Feb. 2011 Examples include mad cow disease, scrapie, Kuru, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 9 June 2022 Chronic wasting disease is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy, similar to mad cow disease, scrapie and Creutzfeldt-Jakob. Paul A. Smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 18 Dec. 2021 Sheep have carried scrapie — effectively mad cow disease for sheep — for centuries. Jim Robbins, New York Times, 12 Nov. 2020 Mad cow disease, for example, is a prion disease that rooted from scrapie, a deadly disease that afflicts sheep. Fiza Pirani, ajc, 25 May 2018 Prions cause a variety of diseases in other animals, including Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (a prion disease in humans), scrapie (affecting sheep and goats), and chronic wasting disease (found in mule deer, elk, and reindeer). Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 26 Apr. 2018 The disease is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE), a family of diseases that includes scrapie, mad cow disease and Creutzfeldt-Jakob. Paul A. Smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 28 Feb. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scrapie.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

scrape entry 1

First Known Use

1910, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of scrapie was in 1910

Dictionary Entries Near scrapie

Cite this Entry

“Scrapie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scrapie. Accessed 2 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

scrapie

noun
scra·​pie ˈskrā-pē How to pronounce scrapie (audio)
: a usually fatal prion disease of sheep and goats that is characterized by twitching, excitability, intense itching, excessive thirst, emaciation, weakness, and finally paralysis

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