■ noun a disease caused by a deficiency of vitamin C, characterized by swollen bleeding gums and the opening of previously healed wounds.
■ adjective ( scurvier , scurviest ) archaic worthless or contemptible.
Derivatives
scurvily adverb
Origin
ME (as adjective meaning 'scurfy'): from scurf + -y 1 ;noun use is by assoc. with Fr. scorbut (see scorbutic ).