Definition of Peccant
Peccant: Unhealthy. Causing illness or disease.
"...the subtile parts of the tobacco in inspiration are carried into the trachea and lungs, where they loosen the peccant humours adhering thereto, and promote expectoration." (From the entry to tobacco in the First Edition of the Encyclopędia Britannica, 1771)
The word peccant comes from the Latin peccans, from peccare (to sin, to commit a fault, to stumble). Peccant involves stumbling of a sort -- falling into unhealthy behavior.
Source: MedTerms™ Medical Dictionaryhttp://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=34027
Last Editorial Review: 9/20/2012
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