cystic fibrosis

American  

noun

Pathology.

1. a hereditary chronic disease of the exocrine glands, characterized by the production of viscid mucus that obstructs the pancreatic ducts and bronchi, leading to infection and fibrosis.

---

cystic fibrosis British  

noun

1. an inheritable disease of the exocrine glands, controlled by a recessive gene: affected children inherit defective alleles from both parents. It is characterized by chronic infection of the respiratory tract and by pancreatic insufficiency

---

cystic fibrosis Scientific  

/ sĭs′tĭkfī-brō′sĭs /

1. An inherited disorder of the exocrine glands, usually developing during early childhood and affecting mainly the pancreas, respiratory system, and sweat glands. It is marked by the production of abnormally thick mucus by the affected glands, usually resulting in chronic respiratory infections and impaired pancreatic function.

---

cystic fibrosis Cultural  

1. A congenital and chronic disease that affects certain glands in the body, particularly the sweat glands, the pancreas, and the glands in the mucous membranes of the respiratory system. Cystic fibrosis causes recurring respiratory disorders (see respiration) and interferes with the production of enzymes by the pancreas.

---

Etymology

Origin of cystic fibrosis

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cystic fibrosis

For six-and-a-half years, Lisa Hayden-Johnson claimed Matthew had a long list of illnesses including diabetes, food allergies, cerebral palsy and cystic fibrosis, but years later it emerged she had made it all up.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

She struggles with repeat infections of all kinds — ear infections, conjunctivitis, pneumonia — and the drug, which is approved to treat cystic fibrosis, has helped keep her healthy.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026

The biotech says its cystic fibrosis drug candidate missed the mark in a Phase 2a trial, though the news could be a boon to shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals.

From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026

We also can say it of cystic fibrosis, a once-fatal illness that a pill called Trikafta has made manageable for most patients.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

In the 1980s, human geneticists begin to use these techniques to map and identify genes linked to diseases, such as Huntington’s disease and cystic fibrosis.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee