diarrhea

or di·ar·rhoe·a

[ dahy-uh-ree-uh ]
See synonyms for diarrhea on Thesaurus.com
nounPathology.
  1. an intestinal disorder characterized by abnormal frequency and fluidity of fecal evacuations.

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Origin of diarrhea

1
1350–1400; Middle English diaria<Late Latin diarrhoea<Greek diárrhoia a flowing through, equivalent to diarrho- (variant stem of diarrheîn to flow through) + -ia-ia

Other words from diarrhea

  • di·ar·rhe·al, di·ar·rhe·ic, di·ar·rhet·ic [dahy-uh-ret-ik], /ˌdaɪ əˈrɛt ɪk/, di·ar·rhoe·al, di·ar·rhoe·ic, di·ar·rhoet·ic, adjective
  • an·ti·di·ar·rhe·al, adjective

Words Nearby diarrhea

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use diarrhea in a sentence

Scientific definitions for diarrhea

diarrhea

[ dī′ə-rēə ]


  1. Excessive and frequent evacuation of watery feces, usually a symptom of a gastrointestinal disorder. Severe, prolonged diarrhea can lead to dehydration.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for diarrhea

diarrhea

[ (deye-uh-ree-uh) ]


The frequent passage of abnormally watery feces, which is a sign of illness.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.