pleurisy

American  

[ploor-uh-see] / ˈplʊər ə si /

noun

Pathology.

1. inflammation of the pleura, with or without a liquid effusion in the pleural cavity, characterized by a dry cough and pain in the affected side.

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pleurisy British  

/ plʊˈrɪtɪk, ˈplʊərɪsɪ /

noun

1. inflammation of the pleura, characterized by pain that is aggravated by deep breathing or coughing

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pleurisy Scientific  

/ plr′ĭ-sē /

1. An inflammation of the pleura, usually occurring because of complications of a respiratory disease or condition such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, pleural injury, or asbestos exposure. Pleurisy is usually accompanied by the accumulation of fluid between the pleurae, chills, fever, and painful breathing and coughing.

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Other Word Forms

• pleuritic adjective

Etymology

Origin of pleurisy

1350–1400; Middle English pluresy < Old French pleurisie < Late Latin pleurīsis, alteration of Latin pleurītis < Greek pleurîtis. See pleura, -itis

Compare meaning

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

• pleurisy vs. pneumonia

Example Sentences

He contracted pleurisy as a young man and had a partial lung removal, which has left him particularly vulnerable to pneumonia.

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2025

When he was 21, the then Jorge Bergoglio developed pleurisy and had part of one of his lungs removed in Argentina.

From Reuters • Jun. 7, 2023

Born in Livorno, Italy, in 1884, he survived near-fatal bouts of pleurisy and typhoid in his early teens.

From Washington Post • Dec. 29, 2022

Francis, who had part of a lung removed in 1957 after a case of pleurisy, had half of his colon removed in July 2021 and suffers chronic knee pain.

From Washington Times • Jun. 20, 2022

The doctor asked me to cough, took my temperature and blood pressure, applied his stethoscope, and announced that I had pleurisy with effusion, pre-tubercular.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom