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typhoid

American  
[tahy-foid] / ˈtaɪ fɔɪd /

noun

  1. Also called typhoid fever.  an infectious, often fatal, febrile disease, usually of the summer months, characterized by intestinal inflammation and ulceration, caused by the typhoid bacillus, which is usually introduced with food or drink.


adjective

  1. resembling typhus; typhous.

  2. typhoidal.

typhoid British  
/ ˈtaɪfɔɪd /

adjective

  1. resembling typhus

"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

noun

  1. short for typhoid fever

"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

Etymology

Origin of typhoid

First recorded in 1790–1800; typh(us) + -oid

Explanation

One of the worst infectious diseases in the world is typhoid. If Salmonella typhosa is in your food or water, you could catch typhoid. Typhoid consists of intestinal inflammation plus ulceration: that means your stomach is going to hurt, and you will probably spend a lot of time in the bathroom (possibly experiencing distress at both ends of your body). Typhoid often occurs in places with poor sanitation.

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Vocabulary lists containing typhoid

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.

WHO's Africa regional director Mohamed Yakub Janabi said Ebola had had a silent early phase, when symptoms resemble malaria or typhoid, meaning transmission can remain undetected.

From Barron's • May 22, 2026

His mother told the news agency she believed her son had died of typhoid fever, not Ebola.

From BBC • May 21, 2026

She had a broken back, typhoid fever, pneumonia and pleurisy.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

That's because in developing nations like India — where I was born and raised — outbreaks from waterborne diseases like typhoid and cholera are ubiquitous.

From Salon • Dec. 24, 2024

He remembered hearing his illiterate mother reciting poetry and speaking in a tongue that sounded like Latin when she was very ill with typhoid fever.

From "Krik? Krak!" by Edwidge Danticat

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