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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.
Examples of cretin in a Sentence
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
Cite this Entry
“Cretin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cretin. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.
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