subdeficientn.adj.
/ˌsʌbdᵻˈfɪʃ(ə)nt/, U.S. /ˌsəbdəˈfɪʃ(ə)nt/, /ˌsəbdiˈfɪʃ(ə)nt/ Something which is slightly deficient in some respect. Cf. subdeficiency n. 1. Obsolete. rare.
ΚΠ
1635 D. Person Varieties ii. 63 Whether that thing engendred bee a Star, or any other celestiall vertue, whereunto this subdeficient striveth to attaine.
B. adj.
Medicine. Exhibiting or resulting in a slight deficiency of an essential nutrient. Cf. subdeficiency n. 2.
ΚΠ
1939 E. J. Bigwood Guiding Princ. Stud. Nutrition of Populations ii. 154 Signs of beri-beri may appear in consequence of an excess of carbohydrate in a diet sub-deficient in vitamin B1.
1994 Food Safety 1994 (Food Res. Inst. Univ. Wisconsin) 154 Although widespread ‘subdeficient’ selenium intake in the elderly apparently does not affect the erythrocytes, it probably does influence global selenium homeostasis.
1995 Nutrition Res. 15 1508 Female and male Wistar rats were obtained from vitamin A sub-deficient mothers which were previously fed a 800 IU/Kg vitamin A diet.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2012; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.adj.1635