anthrax

[an-thraks]

noun, plural an·thra·ces [an-thruh-seez] /ˈæn θrəˌsiz/. Pathology.

an infectious, often fatal disease of cattle, sheep, and other mammals, caused by Bacillus anthracis, transmitted to humans by contaminated wool, raw meat, or other animal products.

a malignant carbuncle that is the diagnostic lesion of anthrax disease in humans.

Nearby words

Origin of anthrax

1350–1400; Middle English antrax malignant boil or growth < Latin anthrax carbuncle < Greek ánthrax a coal, carbuncle

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for anthrax

The son is reportedly part of a new generation of young drug lords who called themselves “the Anthrax Group.”
Could El Chapo Go Free?|Michael Daly|November 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Where better to test cultures of anthrax, typhoid, plague and tularemia than on an island in a sea in the middle of the desert?
The Aral Sea's Disappearing Act|Anna Nemtsova|October 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As a result of the small size of the spores, anthrax is virtually impossible to see, smell, or taste.
CDC: 80 May Have Been Exposed to Anthrax|Abby Haglage|June 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
News that 75 government scientists had been exposed to anthrax in Atlanta sent shivers up the spine of the science world Thursday.
CDC: 80 May Have Been Exposed to Anthrax|Abby Haglage|June 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST

“Anthrax could be released in a city, quietly, without anyone knowing,” the narrator says.
CDC: 80 May Have Been Exposed to Anthrax|Abby Haglage|June 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The anthrax spore may live several years in a dried state, but the anthrax bacillus perishes in a few days under like conditions.
Special Report on Diseases of Cattle|U.S. Department of Agriculture
Anthrax trifasciata settles her family in July, or in August at latest.
The Life of the Fly|J. Henri Fabre
Are we justified in thinking that it ought to be the same in regard to the microbe of anthrax?
A History of Science, Volume 4(of 5)|Henry Smith Williams
I was able to present to the Academy a tube containing some spores of anthrax bacteria produced four years ago, on March 21, 1887.
A History of Science, Volume 4(of 5)|Henry Smith Williams
The soils that are especially subject to anthrax are the dense clays, the limestones, and the rich alluvials.
A System of Practical Medicine by American Authors, Vol. I|Various

British Dictionary definitions for anthrax

anthrax

noun plural -thraces (-θrəˌsiːz)

a highly infectious and often fatal disease of herbivores, esp cattle and sheep, characterized by fever, enlarged spleen, and swelling of the throat. Carnivores are relatively resistant. It is caused by the spore-forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis and can be transmitted to man

a pustule or other lesion caused by this disease

Word Origin for anthrax

C19: from Late Latin, from Greek: carbuncle

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for anthrax

anthrax

late 14c., "any severe boil or carbuncle," from Latin, from Greek anthrax "charcoal, live coal," also "carbuncle," of unknown origin. Specific sense of the malignant disease in sheep and cattle (and occasionally humans) is from 1876.

Medicine definitions for anthrax

anthrax

[ăn′thrăks′]

n.

An infectious, usually fatal disease of warm-blooded animals that is characterized by ulcerative skin lesions, can be transmitted to humans, and is caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis.carbuncle

A lesion caused by anthrax.

Related formsan•thrac•ic (ăn-thrăs′ĭk) adj.

Science definitions for anthrax

anthrax

[ăn′thrăks′]

An infectious, usually fatal disease of mammals, especially cattle and sheep, caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis. The disease is transmitted to humans through cutaneous contact, ingestion, or inhalation. Cutaneous anthrax is marked by the formation of a necrotic skin ulcer, high fever, and toxemia. Inhalation anthrax leads to severe pneumonia that is usually fatal.

Culture definitions for anthrax

anthrax

An infectious disease transmitted by a bacterium in animals, which can also be transmitted to humans. Often fatal if the bacterium enters the lungs, anthrax is usually treated by antibiotics. Anthrax is a potential weapon in germ warfare and bioterrorism (see also bioterrorism).

Note

After the September 11 attacks (2001) in the United States, anthrax spores sent through the mail caused several fatalities.

Note

If spores are prepared in a sophisticated way, they can stay in the air and be breathed in by human beings. Anthrax produced in this way is referred to as weaponized anthrax.