pyelonephritis

American

[pahy-uh-loh-nuh-frahy-tis, pahy-el-oh-] / ˌpaɪ ə loʊ nəˈfraɪ tɪs, paɪˌɛl oʊ- /

noun

Pathology.

inflammation of the kidney and its pelvis, caused by a bacterial infection.

pyelonephritis British

/ ˌpaɪələʊnɪˈfraɪtɪs /

noun

inflammation of the kidney and renal pelvis Compare pyelitis

"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

Other Word Forms

pyelonephritic adjective

Etymology

Origin of pyelonephritis

First recorded in 1865–70; pyelo- + nephritis

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.

Billy’s official death record states he died of pyelonephritis, a urinary tract infection that affects one or both kidneys, according to niece Ida Cummings of Washington, D.C.

From Washington Times • Aug. 21, 2016

I sat on the chair in my surgical gown, surveyed the table of swabs and sample pots, and flicked through a leaflet about a urinary tract infection called pyelonephritis.

From The Guardian • Jul. 3, 2014

Any of several bacteria can cause pyelonephritis, but the worst offender is the colon bacillus.

From Time Magazine Archive

In many cases, pyelonephritis persists over many years.

From Time Magazine Archive

Doctor, what's been your experience with unilateral pyelonephritis?

From Main Street by Lewis, Sinclair

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023