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.

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adjective

1. resembling typhus; typhous.

2. typhoidal.

typhoid British  

/ ˈtaɪfɔɪd /

adjective

1. resembling typhus

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noun

1. short for typhoid fever

Other Word Forms

• antityphoid adjective
• pretyphoid adjective

Etymology

Origin of typhoid

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

Example Sentences

Outbreaks of typhoid at the time were, in part, blamed on sewage pollution of the water, contaminating the shellfish that were a large part of the diet for poorer communities.

From BBC • Jan. 9, 2026

On Valentine’s Day 1884 his wife, Alice, and his mother, Mittie, died hours apart of Bright’s disease and typhoid, respectively.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 29, 2025

Visits to the front, rousing of troops, evading rampant typhoid, enigmatic encounters with notable leaders like Republican Chiang Kai-shek and Communist Zhou Enlai.

From Salon • Jul. 12, 2025

When Willie Lincoln, the third son of President Lincoln, died at age 11 of typhoid fever, he was interred in a mausoleum in Oak Hill Cemetery.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2025

Although his illness wasn’t diagnosed, he called it camp fever, a term often used for typhoid fever.

From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow