catarrh

[kuh-tahr]

noun

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

catarrh

/ kəˈtɑː /

noun

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

2. the mucus so formed

Other Word Forms

• catarrhal adjective
• catarrhous adjective
• catarrhally adverb
• noncatarrhal adjective
• postcatarrhal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of catarrh¹

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)

Word History and Origins

Origin of catarrh¹

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

Example Sentences

Palmieri died of “bronchial catarrh” in Naples in 1896, at age 89, shortly after holding a last lecture on the moon’s influence on eruptions—a subject that is still studied today.

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In another, he referred to Welsh signage in supermarkets as "incomprehensible" and described it as "a dead language that sounds uncannily like someone with bad catarrh clearing his throat".

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In earlier flu epidemics, the disease was described as the “Russian illness” in Germany and Italy, and “Chinese catarrh” in Russia.

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We should suppose in time of general catarrh, the whole empire of Japan would be covered with bits of paper blowing about.

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Though it was summer and the leaves heavy on the trees, people went about the streets coughing as if it were the catarrh season.

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