sleeping sickness meaning

UK /ˈsliːpɪŋ ˈsɪknɪs/ US /ˈslipɪŋ ˈsɪknəs/ 4 syllables

sleeping sickness (noun): an encephalitis that was epidemic between 1915 and 1926; symptoms include paralysis of the extrinsic eye muscle and extreme muscular weakness.

Definition of sleeping sickness

  1. an encephalitis that was epidemic between 1915 and 1926; symptoms include paralysis of the extrinsic eye muscle and extreme muscular weakness

    Synonyms: sleepy sickness, epidemic encephalitis, lethargic encephalitis, encephalitis lethargica

    Type of: encephalitis

How to pronounce sleeping sickness

sleeping sickness is pronounced /ˈsliːpɪŋ ˈsɪknɪs/ in British English and /ˈslipɪŋ ˈsɪknəs/ in American English. It has 4 syllables.

More about sleeping sickness on Wikipedia.