bronchitis

American  

[brong-kahy-tis] / brɒŋˈkaɪ tɪs /

noun

Pathology.

1. acute or chronic inflammation of the membrane lining of the bronchial tubes, caused by respiratory infection or exposure to bronchial irritants, as cigarette smoke.

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bronchitis British  

/ brɒŋˈkaɪtɪs /

noun

1. inflammation of the bronchial tubes, characterized by coughing, difficulty in breathing, etc, caused by infection or irritation of the respiratory tract

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bronchitis Scientific  

/ brŏng-kī′tĭs /

1. Inflammation of the mucous membrane of the bronchial tubes, often as a result of a cold or other viral infection. Smoking is also a common cause of chronic bronchitis.

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Other Word Forms

• bronchitic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of bronchitis

From New Latin, dating back to 1812; see origin at bronch-, -itis

Compare meaning

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

• laryngitis vs. bronchitis

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bronchitis

More than 40,000 cases – which range from coughs to bronchitis and more serious conditions like pneumonia – involve toddlers.

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

One doctor said it was probably remnants of the bronchitis, the other doctor said it could be cancer.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026

The infant had bronchitis, he said, and was unresponsive for hours before being discharged.

From Salon ● Feb. 20, 2026

His son, Ali, said he worked as a security guard at the plant but left in 2020 with severe bronchitis.

From Barron's ● Feb. 19, 2026

I exhaled and paid attention to the way my lungs sank in, with just a little bit of rattle at the end left over from my annual bronchitis.

From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline