ill-health

ill-health (uncountable)

1. Alternative form of ill health.
   • 1814 July, [Jane Austen], chapter II, in Mansfield Park: […], volume I, London: […] T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC, page 38:

     From about the time of her entering the family, Lady Bertram, in consequence of a little ill-health, and a great deal of indolence, gave up the house in town, which she had been used to occupy every spring, and remained wholly in the country, leaving Sir Thomas to attend his duty in Parliament, with whatever increase or diminution of comfort might arise from her absence.

   • 1903, Samuel Butler, chapter 66, in The Way of All Flesh:

     Loss of money is far the worst, then comes ill-health, and then loss of reputation; loss of reputation is a bad third, for, if a man keeps health and money unimpaired, it will be generally found that his loss of reputation is due to breaches of parvenu conventions only, and not to violations of those older, better established canons whose authority is unquestionable.

   • 1962 August, G. Freeman Allen, “Traffic control on the Great Northern Line”, in Modern Railways, pages 131/132:

     There are the engines that develop ill-health and begin to lose time, or the wagons that develop hot boxes and have to be removed, initiating delays that steadily pile up—or at worst, the weather lays its hand on the whole District.

   • 2021 December 29, Stephen Roberts, “Stories and facts behind railway plaques”, in RAIL, number 947, page 56:

     A combination of having too many plates spinning, ill-health, being banged up for debt (1822-23) and bankruptcy all served to impede James' progress, although the Central Junction Railway - a 16-mile horse-drawn tramway between Stratford and Moreton (Gloucestershire) - did materialise in 1826.