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spon·gi·form encephalopathy | \ ˈspən-ji-ˌfȯrm- 
\
\Definition of spongiform encephalopathy
: any of various degenerative diseases of the brain characterized by the development of porous spongelike lesions in brain tissue and by deterioration in neurological functioning specifically : prion disease
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The first known use of spongiform encephalopathy was in 1960
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