pertussis
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of pertussis
1790–1800; < New Latin, equivalent to Latin per- per- + tussis a cough
Explanation
Pertussis is an illness that causes severe coughing, which can last for weeks or even months. Luckily, there is a vaccine for babies that protects them from getting pertussis. Pertussis is more commonly known as whooping cough for the distinctive, gasping "whoop" sound made during a coughing fit. Pertussis is highly contagious and especially dangerous for very young children and babies, who can stop breathing. The vaccine is very effective at preventing pertussis, although booster shots need to be given over time. Pertussis comes from per-, "thoroughly, and tussis, "cough."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Another disease to watch out for is pertussis, also known as whooping cough.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 15, 2025
In 2024, pertussis sickened over 700 Floridians, up from just 85 cases in 2023.
From BBC • Sep. 14, 2025
The CDC says vaccination is the best way to protect against pertussis.
From Salon • Dec. 31, 2024
As early as 2 months old, babies get a formulation called DTaP, which besides pertussis also protects against diphtheria and tetanus.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 22, 2024
Against other illnesses, though—including measles, mumps, rubella, pertussis, and the now defeated smallpox—our antibodies stimulated by one infection confer lifelong immunity.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
