chronic wasting disease

noun

veterinary medicine

: a progressive, fatal prion disease of deer, elk, and moose that is characterized by weight loss, tremors, lack of coordination, drooling, excessive thirst, and listlessness

Since it was first identified two decades ago in deer in Colorado, chronic wasting disease has spread to a dozen states (including New York) and two Canadian provinces.

—Sandra Blakeslee

Scientists have identified a handful of diseases caused by misfolded proteins called prions, including mad cow disease, scrapie in sheep, and chronic wasting disease in deer and elk.

—Nathan Seppa

—abbreviation CWD

Examples of chronic wasting disease in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services requires deer harvested in certain counties to be tested for chronic wasting disease before or at the time of the donation. —Anna Kleiber, jsonline.com, 29 Oct. 2025

Unlike the always fatal chronic wasting disease, hemorrhagic disease is survivable for a deer. —Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 5 Oct. 2025

For more information on chronic wasting disease, visit Michigan.gov/CWD. —Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 24 Sep. 2025

More information on chronic wasting disease is available here. —Connor Giffin, The Courier-Journal, 28 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1980, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for chronic wasting disease

• idiosyncrasies
• abcs
• absentees
• addressees
• adoptees
• allottees
• amputees
• antifreeze
• appellees
• appointees
• arrestees
• artistes