Addison's disease

UK: /ˈædɪs^ənz/

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

Ad′dison's disease′, [Pathol.]

1. Pathology a disease characterized by asthenia, low blood pressure, and a brownish coloration of the skin, due to decreased secretion of cortisol from the adrenal cortex, resulting in hypoadrenalism.

• named after T. Addison, who described it 1855–60

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

Addison's disease / ˈædɪs^ənz/ noun

1. a disease characterized by deep bronzing of the skin, anaemia, and extreme weakness, caused by underactivity of the adrenal glands

Etymology: 19th Century: named after Thomas Addison (1793–1860), British physician who identified it