diphtheria

[ dif-theer-ee-uh, dip- ]

/ dɪfˈθɪər i ə, dɪp- /

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noun Pathology.

a febrile, infectious disease caused by the bacillus Corynebacterium diphtheriae, and characterized by the formation of a false membrane in the air passages, especially the throat.

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Origin of diphtheria

1850–55; <New Latin <French diphthérie<Greek diphthér(a) skin, leather + -ia-ia

Words nearby diphtheria

diphenyl ketone, diphonia, diphosgene, diphosphate, diphosphoglycerate, diphtheria, diphtheritic, diphtheroid, diphthong, diphthongia, diphthongize

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use diphtheria in a sentence

By the early 20th century, vaccination was commonplace against infections such as smallpox, tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis.
History shows that passing school coronavirus vaccine mandates could require exemptions|Elena Conis|November 19, 2021|Washington Post
About one-fifth of children died before reaching age 5, many from infectious diseases such as diphtheria that are now preventable with vaccines.
Schools Could Help More Kids Get the COVID-19 Vaccine. But History Has Some Warnings|Tara Law|November 1, 2021|Time
The dread of many other childhood illnesses, such as diphtheria and measles, has also diminished, leaving some to take prevention measures for granted.
Epidemics have happened before and they’ll happen again. What will we remember?|Aimee Cunningham|October 27, 2021|Science News
Some vaccines are required for school entry in every state — measles, polio, diphtheria — because they have extremely high efficacy rates and are related to diseases that spread through normal daily contact with other kids in schools.
Vaccines Mandates Work, But They’re Messy|Maggie Koerth (maggie.koerth-baker@fivethirtyeight.com)|September 8, 2021|FiveThirtyEight

For example, the flu vaccine needs a booster every year, and the diphtheria and tetanus vaccine every 10 years.
6 important questions about COVID-19 booster vaccines, answered|Purbita Saha|July 9, 2021|Popular-Science
One of his brothers died of diphtheria during the Nazi siege of Leningrad in World War II.
How Tolstoy Can Save Putin’s Soul|Andrew D. Kaufman|May 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Diphtheria, on the other hand, is perfectly capable of causing an outbreak in a vulnerable population.
Thanks to Anti-Vaxxers, Mumps Are Back. What’s Next?|Russell Saunders|March 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Thankfully, diphtheria has been essentially eliminated in the United States.
Thanks to Anti-Vaxxers, Mumps Are Back. What’s Next?|Russell Saunders|March 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Instead, the concerns reflect the fact that unlike measles or diphtheria or rubella, HPV is not spread by casual contact.
HPV Vaccine's Tricky Ethics|Sharon Begley|September 14, 2011|DAILY BEAST
His optimism led him to compare ending poverty to eradicating scarlet fever and diphtheria.
Sargent Shriver's America|Adam Clymer|January 18, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Fibrinous casts are characteristic of fibrinous bronchitis, but may also be found in diphtheria of the smaller bronchi.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
A germ flies from a stagnant pool, and the laughing child, its mother's darling, dies dreadfully of diphtheria.
God and my Neighbour|Robert Blatchford
Pseudomembranous conjunctivitis generally shows either streptococci or diphtheria bacilli.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
So long as Christians have an overwhelming majority who will not touch the drains, diphtheria must continue.
God and my Neighbour|Robert Blatchford
School-children at times have what appears to be mere sore throat but which is really diphtheria in the naturally immune.
Essays In Pastoral Medicine|Austin Malley

British Dictionary definitions for diphtheria

diphtheria

/ (dɪpˈθɪərɪə, dɪf-) /

noun

an acute contagious disease caused by the bacillus Corynebacterium diphtheriae, producing fever, severe prostration, and difficulty in breathing and swallowing as the result of swelling of the throat and formation of a false membrane

Derived forms of diphtheria

diphtherial, diphtheritic (ˌdɪpθəˈrɪtɪk, dɪf-) or diphtheric (dɪpˈθɛrɪk, dɪf-), adjectivediphtheroid, adjective

Word Origin for diphtheria

C19: New Latin, from French diphthérie, from Greek diphthera leather; from the nature of the membrane

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

Scientific definitions for diphtheria

diphtheria

[ dĭf-thîr′ē-ə, dĭp- ]

An infectious disease caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae and characterized by fever, swollen glands, and the formation of a membrane in the throat that prevents breathing. Infants are routinely vaccinated against diphtheria, which was once a common cause of death in children.

Cultural definitions for diphtheria

diphtheria

[ (dif-theer-ee-uh, dip-theer-ee-uh) ]

An acute disease, and a contagious disease, caused by bacteria that invade mucous membranes in the body, especially those found in the throat. The bacteria produce toxic substances that can spread throughout the body.

notes for diphtheria

In developed countries, diphtheria has been virtually wiped out through an active program of infant immunization.