cretin

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   historical and offensive: a person with congenital hypothyroidism, formerly described using this term

   Modern medical writing uses congenital hypothyroidism instead of the outdated label cretin.

2. 2
   noun

   offensive: a contemptuous term for a person regarded as stupid

   The editor removed the insult cretin from the published letter.

Borrowed from French crétin, probably from an Alpine form of chrétien (Christian) once used in the sense of a fellow person. The former medical label is obsolete and offensive; modern medicine uses congenital hypothyroidism.

Topics

External links

• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary
• Google Images