cholera

[ kol-er-uh ]

/ ˈkɒl ər ə /

noun

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.

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

Nearby words

cholemia, cholent, choleperitoneum, cholepoiesis, choler, cholera, cholera infantum, cholera morbus, choleraic diarrhea, choleresis, choleretic

Origin of cholera

1600–05 in sense “gastrointestinal disease”; 1800–05 for current sense < Latin: disease caused by bile < Greek choléra; see choler

Related forms

chol·e·ra·ic

[kol-uh-rey-ik] /ˌkɒl əˈreɪ ɪk/, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for cholera

This method works for TB, for cholera, for rabid animals—for just about everything.
The CDC Was Wrong About How to Stop Ebola|Kent Sepkowitz|October 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Cholera and typhoid fever are transmitted when I ingest contaminated food or drink.
The CDC Was Wrong About How to Stop Ebola|Kent Sepkowitz|October 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When multiple cases of watery diarrhea spread through one village, doctors feared it was cholera.
Fighting Ebola With Nothing but Hope|Abby Haglage|August 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Cholera and typhoid were rampant and overseers used pick handles to physically force miners into the shafts.
Turkey's Tragedy and History's Worst Mining Accidents|Emily Shire|May 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST

At the time, New Orleans was a breeding ground for yellow fever and cholera.
The Sacrificial Limbs of New Orleans|Nina Strochlic|March 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was mid-summer, and on the road came the news that the cholera was raging in Paris.
Camilla: A Tale of a Violin|Charles Barnard
Just at this time, in 1831, the cholera broke out in her native city.
Deaconesses in Europe|Jane M. Bancroft
Thousands of miles away in Hindoostan, Asiatic cholera of a deadly type had been playing havoc with the people of the country.
The Sanitary Evolution of London|Henry Lorenzo Jephson
In short, his silence cure still lasted some days; then he got away, and the cholera had not yet broken out.
Fair Haven and Foul Strand|August Strindberg
More 160 than a year had elapsed between the inoculations and the outbreak of the cholera.
Experiments on Animals|Stephen Paget

British Dictionary definitions for cholera

cholera

/ (ˈkɒlərə) /

noun

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

Derived Forms

choleroid, adjective

Word Origin for cholera

C14: from Latin, from Greek kholera jaundice, from kholē bile

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

Medicine definitions for cholera

cholera

[ kŏl′ər-ə ]

n.

An acute epidemic infectious disease caused by Vibrio cholerae, characterized by profuse watery diarrhea, extreme loss of fluid and electrolytes, and prostration.

Any of various diseases of domesticated animals marked by severe gastroenteritis.

Related forms

chol′e•ra′ic (-ə-rā′ĭk) adj.

Science definitions for cholera

cholera

[ kŏl′ər-ə ]

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.

Culture definitions for cholera

cholera

[ (kol-uh-ruh) ]

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.