scurvy

Meaning

Noun

1. A disease caused by insufficient intake of vitamin C, leading to the formation of livid spots on the skin, spongy gums, loosening of the teeth and bleeding into the skin and from almost all mucous membranes.
2. A scurvy (adjective) individual

Adj

1. Covered or affected with scurf or scabs; scabby; scurfy; specifically, diseased with the scurvy.
2. Contemptible, despicable, low, disgustingly mean.

Synonyms

scorbutus

low

vile

ignoble

miserable

contemptible

scummy

scurrilous

low-down

shabby

abject

sordid

mean

infamous

lewd

lousy

lowbred

lowdown

low-minded

miscreant

ornery

raffish

rascally

ratty

rotten

scabby

scoundrel

septicemia

shoddy

sorry

tawdry

villainous

vulgar

worthless

malnutrition

rickets

scurrile

scorbut

bitchy

blood poisoning

caddish

cheap

coarse

common

consumption

depraved

dirty

discourteous

foul

hangdog

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈskɝvi/

Etymology

Cognate with Dutch: scheurbuik

Cognate with French: scorbut

Cognate with Icelandic: skyrbjúgur

Cognate with Swedish: skörbjugg

Cognate with German: Scharbock

In summary

Noun usage possibly from the adjective scurvy influenced by or a variant of scurfy. Took on meaning of Dutch scheurbuik, French scorbut (“scurvy”), possibly from Old Norse skyrbjúgr, skyr (“sour milk”) + bjúgr (“swelling, tumour”), from the verb bjúga (“to bend”), whence Icelandic skyrbjúgur (“scurvy”) and Swedish skörbjugg (“scurvy”).
Compare German Scharbock, Late Latin scorbutus. More at sour, bow.
Or, equivalent to scurf (“flakes on the surface of the skin”) + -y.