radiation sickness
noun
: sickness that results from exposure to radiation and is commonly marked by fatigue, nausea, vomiting, loss of teeth and hair, and in more severe cases by damage to blood-forming tissue with decrease in red and white blood cells and with bleeding
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Even at Fukushima, one of the worst accidents at a nuclear power plant, there were no deaths from radiation sickness; casualties came in the chaos of evacuation. 
Tim Fernholz, Quartz, 26 July 2022 All 23 crew members experienced radiation sickness; the radio operator, Aikichi Kuboyama, died in September. Audra J. Wolfe, The New Republic, 30 June 2022 Only 31 people died in the initial accident (though others suffered from radiation sickness or developed thyroid cancer). James B. Meigs, WSJ, 20 May 2022 In the months that followed, countless others died from burns and radiation sickness. Katie Hafner, Scientific American, 7 Apr. 2022 The vast majority of those who survived the initial attack would also die over the coming months from radiation sickness, infectious diseases, famine and exposure. Ira Helfand, CNN, 17 Mar. 2022 In the ensuing months, 28 firefighters and cleanup workers died of radiation sickness, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. Washington Post, 2 Nov. 2021 Found swimming in the lagoon, the pig was donated to the Smithsonian zoo after recovering from radiation sickness. Washington Post, 5 Nov. 2021 Most likely, Mars explorers will need to spend most of their time living underground to reduce the chance of radiation sickness or cancer. Katie Mack, CNN, 11 May 2021 See More
Tim Fernholz, Quartz, 26 July 2022 All 23 crew members experienced radiation sickness; the radio operator, Aikichi Kuboyama, died in September. Audra J. Wolfe, The New Republic, 30 June 2022 Only 31 people died in the initial accident (though others suffered from radiation sickness or developed thyroid cancer). James B. Meigs, WSJ, 20 May 2022 In the months that followed, countless others died from burns and radiation sickness. Katie Hafner, Scientific American, 7 Apr. 2022 The vast majority of those who survived the initial attack would also die over the coming months from radiation sickness, infectious diseases, famine and exposure. Ira Helfand, CNN, 17 Mar. 2022 In the ensuing months, 28 firefighters and cleanup workers died of radiation sickness, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. Washington Post, 2 Nov. 2021 Found swimming in the lagoon, the pig was donated to the Smithsonian zoo after recovering from radiation sickness. Washington Post, 5 Nov. 2021 Most likely, Mars explorers will need to spend most of their time living underground to reduce the chance of radiation sickness or cancer. Katie Mack, CNN, 11 May 2021 See More Word History
First Known Use
1924, in the meaning defined above
Medical Definition
radiation sickness
noun
: sickness that results from exposure to radiation and is commonly marked by fatigue, nausea, vomiting, loss of teeth and hair, and in more severe cases by damage to blood-forming tissue with decrease in red and white blood cells and with bleeding