milk sickness
noun
1
: an acute disease characterized by weakness, vomiting, and constipation and caused by eating dairy products or meat from cattle poisoned by various plants
2
Examples of milk sickness in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In DuBois County, the majority of recorded deaths in the early 1800s came from milk sickness.
—
Will McCarthy, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 June 2023
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Will McCarthy, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 June 2023
Cite this Entry
“Milk sickness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/milk%20sickness. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share