diphtheria

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

/ dɪfˈθɪər i ə, dɪp- /

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.

Nearby words

diphenylhydantoin sodium, diphonia, diphosgene, diphosphate, diphosphoglycerate, diphtheria, diphtheria antitoxin, diphtheria, tetanus toxoids, and pertussis vaccine, diphtherial, diphtheric, diphtheritic

Origin of diphtheria

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

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

Examples from the Web for diphtheria

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

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
She died from diphtheria caught while nursing her husband and children.
The New Gresham Encyclopedia. Vol. 1 Part 1|Various
Actual growth of the diphtheria germ is said to take place in raw milk more rapidly than in sterilized.
Outlines of dairy bacteriology|H. L. Russell
The year before the Bureau of Contagious Diseases had registered 13 cases of diphtheria there.
The Battle with the Slum|Jacob A. Riis.
Second, we have diphtheria, which apparently may also attack the cow.
Appletons' Popular Science Monthly, September 1899|Various
Wouldn't it have been far worse if we had lost Reggie when he had diphtheria?
Afterwards|Ian Maclaren

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 Formsdiphtherial, 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

Word Origin and History for diphtheria

diphtheria

from French diphthérie, coined 1857 by physician Pierre Bretonneau (1778-1862) from Greek diphthera "prepared hide, leather," of unknown origin; the disease so called for the tough membrane that forms in the throat. Bretonneau's earlier name for it was diphthérite, anglicized as diphtheritis (1826). Formerly known in England as the Boulogne sore throat, because it spread from France.

Medicine definitions for diphtheria

diphtheria

[ dĭf-thîr′ē-ə, dĭp- ]

n.

An acute infectious disease caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae, and characterized by the production of a systemic toxin and the formation of a false membrane on the lining of the mucous membrane of the throat and other respiratory passages, causing difficulty in breathing, high fever, and weakness. The toxin is particularly harmful to the tissues of the heart and central nervous system.

Related formsdiph′the•rit′ic (-thə-rĭt′ĭk) null null adj.

Science 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.

Culture 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.

Note

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