dysentery

American  

[dis-uhn-ter-ee] / ˈdɪs ənˌtɛr i /

noun

dysenteries plural

1. Pathology. an infectious disease marked by inflammation and ulceration of the lower part of the bowels, with diarrhea that becomes mucous and hemorrhagic.

2. diarrhea.

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dysentery British  

/ ˌdɪsənˈtɛrɪk, ˈdɪsəntrɪ /

noun

1. infection of the intestine with bacteria or amoebae, marked chiefly by severe diarrhoea with the passage of mucus and blood

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dysentery Scientific  

/ dĭs′ən-tĕr′ē /

1. A gastrointestinal disease characterized by severe, often bloody diarrhea, usually caused by infection with bacteria or parasites.

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dysentery Cultural  

1. A painful disease of the intestines characterized by inflammation and diarrhea. Dysentery may be caused by bacteria or viruses, or may occur as the result of infestation by an amoeba.

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Discover More

Dysentery can be transmitted by contact with water or food that has been contaminated by human waste. Public health and sanitation procedures in developed countries, however, have largely eliminated this means of transmission.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• dysenteric
  adjective
• postdysenteric
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• dysenteries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of dysentery

First recorded in 1350–1400; from Medieval Latin dysenteria, from Greek, from dysénter(a) “bad bowels” ( see dys-, enteron) + -ia -ia; replacing Middle English dissenterie, from Old French

Compare meaning

How does dysentery compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• dysentery vs. diarrhea

Explanation

Dysentery is a nasty sounding word for a nasty condition: an intestinal infection that results in diarrhea. There are few things as unpleasant as dysentery, an infectious condition, kind of like the flu, that includes severe diarrhea. Dysentery is common in countries and places with poor health conditions and sewage problems. If the drinking water is filthy, that's a great way to spread dysentery. This word sounds kind of dirty, and that's a good hint to its meaning: the horrible illness of dysentery spreads in dirty, unsafe living conditions.

Example Sentences

Dysentery and malaria were endemic and rendered many men unfit for combat.

From New York Times • Jan. 12, 2024

Dysentery also killed Henry V, hero of Agincourt, while campaigning in France in 1422.

From BBC • Oct. 18, 2016

Dysentery, which is now recognized as a trigger of IBS, was then thought to result from an overabundance of blood.

From Nature • May 17, 2016

Dysentery is a life-threatening disease that is becoming increasingly hard to treat due to its growing ability to evade antibiotic treatment.

From Reuters • Nov. 7, 2014

A Regiment of Swiss Soldiers, in Garrison in the South of France, had the Dysentery very frequent among them.

From An Account of the Diseases which were most frequent in the British military hospitals in Germany by Monro, Donald