bovine spongiform encephalopathy

noun

: a fatal prion disease of cattle that affects the nervous system, resembles or is identical to scrapie of sheep and goats, and is probably transmitted by infected tissue in food
abbreviation BSE

called also mad cow disease

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Food safety officials in Britain had assured consumers that bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease, could not be transmitted to humans by eating beef from sick cows. Andrew Curry, Discover Magazine, 13 Mar. 2013 Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease comes from exposure to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), most often through consumption of infected cattle. William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 9 June 2022 The official name of mad cow disease is bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). Cnn Editorial Research, CNN, 30 May 2021 It’s a prion disease with similarities to mad cow disease, which is scientifically known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy. Anton L. Delgado, The Arizona Republic, 29 May 2021 The disease is part of a group called transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, the most famous of which is bovine spongiform encephalopathy, also known as mad cow disease. Jim Robbins, New York Times, 12 Nov. 2020 And in 1989, the government banned imports of beef and lamb from regions, including Britain, affected by bovine spongiform encephalopathy, better known as mad cow disease. David Yaffe-bellany, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2020 Two decades ago, Chicago got caught up in cow fever — not bovine spongiform encephalopathy, but a benign form of art-cow madness. Steve Johnson, chicagotribune.com, 28 June 2019 But, the most well-known is bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE aka mad cow disease). Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 26 Apr. 2018 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bovine spongiform encephalopathy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

First Known Use

1987, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bovine spongiform encephalopathy was in 1987

Dictionary Entries Near bovine spongiform encephalopathy

bovine malaria

bovine spongiform encephalopathy

bovine staggers

Cite this Entry

“Bovine spongiform encephalopathy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bovine%20spongiform%20encephalopathy. Accessed 23 Mar. 2023.

Medical Definition

bovine spongiform encephalopathy

noun
: a fatal prion disease of cattle that affects the nervous system, resembles or is identical with scrapie of sheep and goats, and is probably transmitted by infected tissue in food
abbreviation BSE

called also mad cow disease

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