What is "sick man of europe"

n. (context archaic politics English) Ottoman Empire.

''For the band, see Sick Man of Europe (band)

The label of "sick man of Europe" is given to a European country experiencing a time of economic difficulty or impoverishment. The term was first used in the mid-19th century to describe the Ottoman Empire, but has since been applied at one time or another to nearly every other major country in Europe.