Chronic iodine deficiencies in diet can result in malfunctions of the thyroid gland, the gland that produces hormones necessary for normal human development. Some mountainous regions, such as parts of the Alps, do not naturally provide their inhabitants with a diet rich enough in iodine, and the resultant hypothyroidism causes stunted growth and mental retardation. In Franco-Provençal (the Romance speech of French Switzerland and adjacent areas of France), a person affected by hypothyroidism was called a cretin, literally, “wretch, innocent victim,” The word meant simply “Christian” and emphasized the hypothyroid victim's basic humanity.
the captain finally had to deal with the cretin in the back of the plane
in discussions anyone who disagrees with her is inevitably called a cretin
Recent Examples on the WebIn Abercrombie’s fiction, the shining hero on horseback may be the most wretched cretin of them all, while the dandy of a prince, despised by his own people, is the one person with real courage and decency.—Erik Kain, Forbes, 6 Sep. 2021 But the good things Huff did 10 years ago don’t give him a lifetime pass to be a cretin.—Nancy Armour, USA TODAY, 18 Feb. 2020 There are the buck-passers, cretins who are content to simply stand up, find another table, and pass their misfortune on to some other unsuspecting soul.—Amiel Stanek, Bon Appétit, 26 Aug. 2019 Law's take on the royal cretin Vortigern ranges from very evil to very, very evil.—John Serba | Jserba@mlive.com, NOLA.com, 12 May 2017 See all Example Sentences for cretin
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cretin.' 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
French crétin, from French dialect cretin, literally, wretch, innocent victim, from Latin christianus Christian
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