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Down syndrome

Syllabification: (Down syn·drome)

Pronunciation: /ˈdoun ˈsindrōm/

(also Down's syndrome)

Definition of Down syndrome

noun

a congenital disorder arising from a chromosome defect, causing intellectual impairment and physical abnormalities including short stature and a broad facial profile. It arises from a defect involving chromosome 21, usually an extra copy (trisomy-21).

Origin:

1960s: named after John L. H. Down (1828–96), the English physician who first described it

Of relatively recent coinage, Down syndrome is the accepted term in modern use, and former terms such as mongol, Mongoloid, and mongolism, which are likely to cause offense, should be avoided. See also Mongoloid (usage).

Down syndrome in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of Down syndrome in the British & World English dictionary

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