consumptive

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kənˈsʌmptɪv/

  • Audio (Southern England)

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Adjective

consumptive (comparative more consumptive, superlative most consumptive)

1. Having a tendency to consume; dissipating; destructive; wasteful.
   • 1708, Joseph Addison, The Present State of the War, and the Necessity of an Augmentation:

     a long consumptive war

   • 1753, [Tobias Smollett], “Count Fathom Unmasks His Battery; is Repulsed; and Varies His Operations without Effect”, in The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom. […], volume II, London: […] W. Johnston, […], →OCLC, pages 107–108:

     [O]n ſome occaſions, he diſplayed all his fund of good humour, vvith a vievv to beguile her ſorrovv; he importuned her to give him the pleasure of ’ſquiring her to ſome place of innocent entertainment; and, finally, inſiſted upon her accepting a pecuniary reinforcement to her finances, vvhich he knevv to be in a moſt conſumptive condition.

2. Of, or relating to consumption.
3. (pathology) Relating to pulmonary tuberculosis.

   consumptive cough

   • a. 1701 (date written), John Dryden, “The Latter Part of the Fourth Book of Lucretius; Concerning the Nature of Love”, in The Miscellaneous Works of John Dryden, […], volume II, London: […] J[acob] and R[ichard] Tonson, […], published 1760, →OCLC, page 457:

     The lean, conſumptive, wench, with coughs decay'd, / Is call'd a pretty, tight, and ſlender maid.

Derived terms

• nonconsumptive

Translations

having a tendency to consume

• Bulgarian: изтощителен (bg) (iztoštitelen)
• Finnish: kuluttava (fi)
• Portuguese: consumidor (pt) m, consuntivo m
• Ukrainian: виснажливий m (vysnažlyvyj), руйнівний m (rujnivnyj)

of, or relating to consumption

• Catalan: consumidor m
• Finnish: kulutus- (fi)
• German: schwindsüchtig (de)
• Portuguese: consumidor (pt) m
• Spanish: consumidor (es)

relating to pulmonary tuberculosis

• Bulgarian: туберкулозен (bg) (tuberkulozen)
• Catalan: tísic (ca) m
• Dutch: tuberculeus (nl)
• Finnish: tuberkuloottinen
• French: tuberculeux (fr) m or m pl, tuberculeuse (fr) f
• Ido: tuberklosiko (io), tuberklosika (io)
• Portuguese: tuberculoso (pt) m, tísico (pt) m
• Spanish: tísico (es)
• Ukrainian: сухотний m (suxotnyj)

Noun

consumptive (plural consumptives)

1. A person suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis.
   • 2002, Michel Faber, The Crimson Petal and the White, Canongate Books (2010), page 426:

     The consumptive has managed to shake the servant from her side and walks alone, striving to make it look easy.

Translations

person with pulmonary tuberculosis

• Bulgarian: туберкулозен (bg) m (tuberkulozen)
• Catalan: tísic (ca) m
• Dutch: teringlijder (nl) m (dated, now possibly vulgar)
• Finnish: tuberkuloosipotilas
• French: tuberculeux (fr) m, tuberculeuse (fr) f
• Portuguese: tuberculoso (pt) m, tísico (pt) m
• Romanian: tuberculos (ro) m, tuberculoasă f
• Spanish: tísico (es) m