tuberculosis

[too-bur-kyuh-loh-sis, tyoo-]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR tuberculosis ON THESAURUS.COM

noun Pathology.

an infectious disease that may affect almost any tissue of the body, especially the lungs, caused by the organism Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and characterized by tubercles.

this disease when affecting the lungs; pulmonary phthisis; consumption.

any disease caused by a mycobacterium.

Origin of tuberculosis

1855–60; < New Latin tūberculōsis; see tubercle, -osis

Also called TB (for defs 1, 2).

Related formsan·ti·tu·ber·cu·lo·sis, adjective

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

Related Words for tuberculosis

consumption, phthisis

Examples from the Web for tuberculosis

Contemporary Examples of tuberculosis

Schmidt had arrived in California after his family had been wiped out by tuberculosis in his home state of Rhode Island.
The Mole Man’s Tunnel to Nowhere
Nina Strochlic
November 28, 2014
But when Tarkhan got sick with tuberculosis and was ushered out, the government gave him no pension or medical assistance.
The Secret Life of an ISIS Warlord
Will Cathcart, Vazha Tavberidze, Nino Burchuladze
October 27, 2014
His discovery of the tuberculosis bacteria had given him a taste of fame, and made him thirsty for more.
When TB Was a Death Sentence: An Excerpt From ‘The Remedy’
Thomas Goetz
April 16, 2014
That in the bacilli we have … the actual infective cause of tuberculosis.
When TB Was a Death Sentence: An Excerpt From ‘The Remedy’
Thomas Goetz
April 16, 2014
Tuberculosis was all his, and the greater glory of a cure, of a remedy, was his destiny.
When TB Was a Death Sentence: An Excerpt From ‘The Remedy’
Thomas Goetz
April 16, 2014

Historical Examples of tuberculosis

Diabetes, tuberculosis, cancer of the stomach, tumor of the brain.
Life Sentence
James McConnell
So far as tuberculosis is concerned, nothing seems to be definitely proved.
Rural Hygiene
Henry N. Ogden
That chief danger looms from two things: tuberculosis and whisky.
Ten Thousand Miles with a Dog Sled
Hudson Stuck
Perhaps as great a cause of the spread of tuberculosis is the change in clothing.
Ten Thousand Miles with a Dog Sled
Hudson Stuck
Tuberculosis and rickets carried on their evil work unchecked.
A Labrador Doctor
Wilfred Thomason Grenfell

British Dictionary definitions for tuberculosis

tuberculosis

noun

a communicable disease caused by infection with the tubercle bacillus, most frequently affecting the lungs (pulmonary tuberculosis)Also called: consumption, phthisis Abbreviation: TB

Word Origin for tuberculosis

C19: from New Latin; see tubercle, -osis

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 tuberculosis

1860, from Modern Latin, from Latin tuberculum "small swelling, pimple," diminutive of tuber "lump" (see tuber) + -osis, a suffix of Greek origin. So called in reference to the tubercules which form in the lungs. Originally in reference to any disease characterized by tubercules; since the discovery of the tubercule bacillus by Koch (1882) restricted to disease caused by this.

tuberculosis in Medicine

tuberculosis

[tu-bûr′kyə-lō′sĭs]

n.

An infectious disease of humans and animals caused by the tubercle bacillus and characterized by the formation of tubercles on the lungs and other tissues of the body, often developing long after the initial infection.

Tuberculosis of the lungs, characterized by the coughing up of mucus and sputum, fever, weight loss, and chest pain.

tuberculosis in Science

tuberculosis

[tu-bûr′kyə-lō′sĭs]

An infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis that is transmitted through inhalation and is characterized by cough, fever, shortness of breath, weight loss, and the appearance of inflammatory substances and tubercles in the lungs. Tuberculosis is highly contagious and can spread to other parts of the body, especially in people with weakened immune systems. Although the incidence of the disease has declined since the introduction of antibiotic treatment in the 1950's, it is still a major public-health problem throughout the world, especially in Asia and Africa.

tuberculosis in Culture

tuberculosis

[(tuh-bur-kyuh-loh-sis)]

An infectious disease caused by bacteria that mainly attack the lungs. The disease is characterized by the formation of patches, called tubercles, that appear in the lungs and, in later stages, the bones, joints, and other parts of the body. Tuberculosis is treated with combinations of antibiotics and is no longer considered a major health problem in industrialized countries. It was formerly called consumption.

Note

Years ago, tuberculosis (consumption) was a major killer; it often figures in literature and drama.

Note

In recent years, the incidence of tuberculosis has been on the increase in the United States, particularly in large cities, mainly because the strains of the bacterium have developed resistance to antibiotics.