diarrhea

American  

[dahy-uh-ree-uh] / ˌdaɪ əˈri ə /

Or diarrhoea

noun

Pathology.

1. an intestinal disorder characterized by abnormal frequency and fluidity of fecal evacuations.

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diarrhea Scientific  

/ dī′ə-rē′ə /

1. Excessive and frequent evacuation of watery feces, usually a symptom of a gastrointestinal disorder. Severe, prolonged diarrhea can lead to dehydration.

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diarrhea Cultural  

1. The frequent passage of abnormally watery feces, which is a sign of illness.

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Other Word Forms

• antidiarrheal adjective
• diarrheal adjective
• diarrheic adjective
• diarrhetic adjective
• diarrhoeal adjective
• diarrhoeic adjective
• diarrhoetic adjective

Etymology

Origin of diarrhea

1350–1400; Middle English diaria < Late Latin diarrhoea < Greek diárrhoia a flowing through, equivalent to diarrho- (variant stem of diarrheîn to flow through) + -ia -ia

Compare meaning

How does diarrhea compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• dysentery vs. diarrhea

Example Sentences

Symptoms can include but aren’t limited to: nausea, headaches, vomiting, diarrhea and fatigue.

From The Wall Street Journal

Over the next few days both pilots were bedridden, vomiting, with diarrhea, and tremors in their hands and legs.

From The Wall Street Journal

Giardia duodenalis is a microscopic protozoan parasite known for causing outbreaks of severe diarrhea.

From Science Daily

Around 2 a.m., the man woke up with intense stomach pain, diarrhea, and vomiting.

From Science Daily

In March, the clinic doors had been padlocked for two weeks when she developed vomiting and diarrhea.

From Salon