Down's syndrome

English

Alternative forms

• Down syndrome

Etymology

Named after John L.H. Langdon-Down (1828–1896), an English physician who described it in the late 1800s. The term was first used in 1961.

Proper noun

Down’s syndrome

1. (chiefly British, Canada) Condition caused by a chromosomal deficiency, whereby the patients bear a certain resemblance to the Mongoloid race, such as a small head and tilted eyelids.

Usage notes

More often known as Down syndrome in the US, and rarely so in the UK.

Synonyms

• trisomy 21, Down's (informal)

Translations

condition caused by chromosomal deficiency — see Down syndrome