cholera

American  

[kol-er-uh] / ˈkɒl ər ə /

noun

choleras plural

1. Also called Asiatic cholera.  Pathology. an acute, infectious disease, endemic in India and China and occasionally epidemic elsewhere, characterized by profuse diarrhea, vomiting, cramps, etc.

2. Veterinary Pathology. any of several diseases of domesticated animals that are characterized by depression, sleepiness, lack of appetite, and diarrhea.

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cholera British  

/ ˈkɒlərə /

noun

1. Also called: Asiatic cholera.   epidemic cholera.   Indian cholera.  an acute intestinal infection characterized by severe diarrhoea, cramp, etc: caused by ingestion of water or food contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio comma

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cholera Scientific  

/ kŏl′ər-ə /

1. An infectious, sometimes fatal disease of the small intestine caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. It is spread from contaminated water and food and causes severe diarrhea, vomiting, and dehydration.

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cholera Cultural  

1. An acute disease, and an infectious disease, caused by a kind of bacterium that affects the intestines. Transmitted by food or water that has been contaminated with raw sewage, cholera is often fatal and is characterized by severe vomiting, diarrhea, and collapse.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• choleraic
  adjective
• choleroid
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• choleras
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cholera

First recorded in 1600–05 in sense “gastrointestinal disease” and in 1800–05 for its current meaning cholera ( def. 1 ); from Latin: “disease caused by bile,” from Greek choléra; see choler

Explanation

Cholera is a contagious disease that affects the small intestine. In places without safe, clean drinking water, cholera is common and can be deadly, especially for children. This infectious disease is caused by bacteria found in dirty water or food cooked in unsanitary conditions. Around the world, about five million people get cholera each year, mainly in countries that can't afford modern sanitation. Cholera kills about 150,000 annually, many of them very young children. The root of cholera means "bile;" in ancient Greek medicine, choler was one of the four humors and considered to be the cause of "irascibility or temper."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cholera choleras

While antibiotic-resistant cholera is not currently widespread, bacteria can adapt quickly, and treatments may become less effective over time.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 7, 2026

It even overwhelms his dawning understanding of Venice’s spreading cholera outbreak, as he concludes he would rather stay on vacation than save the boy—or himself.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 4, 2026

For example, he said, cholera cases in Yemen would appear to be fewer than last year, although suspected numbers are far larger.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 13, 2026

The flooding damaged water systems, further increasing the cholera risk.

From Barron's ● Feb. 4, 2026

The reckless passion of the heroine, Arabella, for a wicked foreign count is punished by ill fortune when she contracts cholera during an impetuous dash toward a seaside town with her intended.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan

The sun-strokes, the dysenteries, the fevers, the choleras, have affinity for July and August.

From Around The Tea-Table by Talmage, T. De Witt (Thomas De Witt)

I've seen two or three choleras, here and there, and a Black Death and a bubonic plague.

From VC — A Chronicle of Castle Barfield and of the Crimea by Murray, David Christie

Have seen three choleras, two army fevers, and yellow-jack without end.

From Two Years Ago, Volume I by Kingsley, Charles

It may be but a subconscious after-vibration in our brain cells from the simoons, the choleras, and the pestilences of our tropical origin as a race.

From Preventable Diseases by Hutchinson, Woods

They cause much sickness in their season, creating choleras, cramps, and dysenteries.

From The Cook's Oracle; and Housekeeper's Manual by Kitchiner, William