dysentery

American  

[dis-uhn-ter-ee] / ˈdɪs ənˌtɛr i /

noun

1. Pathology. an infectious disease marked by inflammation and ulceration of the lower part of the bowels, with diarrhea that becomes mucous and hemorrhagic.

2. diarrhea.

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dysentery British  

/ ˌdɪsənˈtɛrɪk, ˈdɪsəntrɪ /

noun

1. infection of the intestine with bacteria or amoebae, marked chiefly by severe diarrhoea with the passage of mucus and blood

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dysentery Scientific  

/ dĭs′ən-tĕr′ē /

1. A gastrointestinal disease characterized by severe, often bloody diarrhea, usually caused by infection with bacteria or parasites.

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dysentery Cultural  

1. A painful disease of the intestines characterized by inflammation and diarrhea. Dysentery may be caused by bacteria or viruses, or may occur as the result of infestation by an amoeba.

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Discover More

Dysentery can be transmitted by contact with water or food that has been contaminated by human waste. Public health and sanitation procedures in developed countries, however, have largely eliminated this means of transmission.

Other Word Forms

• dysenteric adjective
• postdysenteric adjective

Etymology

Origin of dysentery

First recorded in 1350–1400; from Medieval Latin dysenteria, from Greek, from dysénter(a) “bad bowels” ( dys-, enteron ) + -ia -ia; replacing Middle English dissenterie, from Old French

Compare meaning

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

• dysentery vs. diarrhea

Example Sentences

He died in 1941 of dysentery when British forces briefly fought there during World War Two.

From BBC • Nov. 8, 2025

You and/or your ancestors didn’t die of dysentery.

From Slate • Nov. 21, 2024

Jones plays Isaac Higgintoot, a member of the American Continental Congress who — appropriately, given his last name — died of dysentery while serving as a captain in the Revolutionary War.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 17, 2024

Cockroaches carry a wide range of diseases and pathogens including bubonic plague, dysentery, hepatitis, hookworms, leprosy, salmonella and polio.

From Salon • Aug. 24, 2024

No one understood that microbes in body waste contaminated drinking water and caused dysentery and typhoid fever.

From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow