Gid

/ɡɪd/ noun

Definition

A disease in sheep and cattle caused by tapeworm larvae in the brain or spinal cord, causing loss of balance and strange behavior.

Etymology

From Middle English gidde, possibly related to giddy. The disease causes vertigo and disorientation in animals, which explains the linguistic connection to dizziness.

Kelly Says

Farmers historically called this disease 'gid' because the affected animals would spin in circles and seem giddy—they named the disease after the symptom they could actually see.

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