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Synonyms

catarrh

American  
[kuh-tahr] / kəˈtɑr /

noun

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


catarrh British  
/ 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

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

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)

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Yet he had also suffered from catarrh - blockages of the sinus and a general feeling of heaviness and tiredness - in June every year since the age of eight.

From BBC Jun. 30, 2014

In a second article published in 1828, Bostock christened the condition "catarrhus aestivus" or "summer catarrh".

From BBC Jun. 30, 2014

Sputum, the tar of frequent No6s, catarrh, Spangles slivers and the reddish dye of aniseed balls gave the splotches the look of abstract expressionist artworks.

From The Guardian Feb. 18, 2011

He called himself a specialist and offered to treat "deafness, head noises from nasal catarrh," and only the American Medical Association objected.

From Time Magazine Archive

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

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

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