catarrh

[kuh-tahr]

See more synonyms for catarrh on Thesaurus.com

noun

Pathology. inflammation of a mucous membrane, especially of the respiratory tract, accompanied by excessive secretions.

Origin of catarrh

1350–1400; Middle English < Late Latin catarrhus < Greek katárrous literally, down-flowing, equivalent to katarr(eîn) to flow down (kata- cata- + rheîn to flow) + -ous, variant of -eos (theme vowel + adj. suffix)

Related formsca·tarrh·al, ca·tarrh·ous, adjectiveca·tarrh·al·ly, adverbnon·ca·tar·rhal, adjectivepost·ca·tarrh·al, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for catarrh

cold, catarrh, coryza

Examples from the Web for catarrh

Historical Examples of catarrh

One said to the other "By the way how is that Catarrh of yours?"
Prairie Farmer, Vol. 56: No. 3, January 19, 1884.
Various
Consumption, pneumonia, catarrh, deafness are some of their names.
Girls and Women
Harriet E. Paine (AKA E. Chester}
The causes of catarrh are many: the most common cause is a cold.
Woman
William J. Robinson
The catarrh has left, while his stomach is simply doing nobly.
Harper's Young People, December 16, 1879
Various
Never was a catarrh so sudden, so universal, or so ill-timed.
History of the United Netherlands, 1590-1599, Vol. III. Complete
John Lothrop Motley

British Dictionary definitions for catarrh

catarrh

noun

inflammation of a mucous membrane with increased production of mucus, esp affecting the nose and throat in the common cold
the mucus so formed

Derived Formscatarrhal or catarrhous, adjective

Word Origin for catarrh

C16: via French from Late Latin catarrhus, from Greek katarrous, from katarrhein to flow down, from kata- down + rhein to flow

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 catarrh

late 14c., from Medieval Latin catarrus, from Late Latin catarrhus, from Greek katarrhous "a catarrh, a head cold," literally "a flowing down," earlier kata rrhoos, ultimately from kata- "down" (see cata-) + rhein "to flow" (see rheum). Related: Catarrhalcatarrhous.

catarrh in Medicine

catarrh

[kə-tär′]

Inflammation of mucous membranes, especially of the nose and throat.

Related formsca•tarrh′al adj.