'rheumatoid arthritis' definitions:
Definition of 'rheumatoid arthritis'
(from WordNet)
noun
A chronic autoimmune disease with inflammation of the joints and marked deformities; something (possibly a virus) triggers an attack on the synovium by the immune system, which releases cytokines that stimulate an inflammatory reaction that can lead to the destruction of all components of the joint [syn: rheumatoid arthritis, atrophic arthritis, rheumatism]