osteomalacia

os·te·o·ma·la·cia  (st--m-lsh, -sh-)

n.

A disease occurring mostly in adult women that results from a deficiency in vitamin D or calcium and is characterized by a softening of the bones with accompanying pain and weakness.

---

[New Latin : osteo- + Greek malaki, softness (from malakos, soft; see mel-¹ in Indo-European roots).]

---

osteomalacia

softening of the bones resulting from malnutrition and the consequent loss of essential salts from the bones.

See also: Bones

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

osteomalacia - abnormal softening of bones caused by deficiencies of phosphorus or calcium or vitamin D malacia - a state of abnormal softening of tissue demineralisation, demineralization - abnormal loss of mineral salts (especially from bone)