typhus

[ tahy-fuh s ]

/ ˈtaɪ fəs /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR typhus ON THESAURUS.COM

noun Pathology.

an acute, infectious disease caused by several species of Rickettsia, transmitted by lice and fleas, and characterized by acute prostration, headache, and a peculiar eruption of reddish spots on the body.

Words nearby typhus

typhoid vaccine, typhoidal, typhoidin, typhon, typhoon, typhus, typhus vaccine, typical, typicon, typify, typing

Origin of typhus

1635–45; < New Latin < Greek tŷphos vapor

Also called typhus fever.

OTHER WORDS FROM typhus

ty·phous, adjective

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

Examples from the Web for typhus

In the 18th century, German immigrants coming to Pennsylvania boarded ships plagued with typhus, dysentery, smallpox, and scurvy.
At Least Two ‘Border Kids’ Have Swine Flu|Ruben Navarrette Jr.|July 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Yet those fears were borne out when, at the age of five, Allegra died of typhus.
The Man Who Invented Vampires and the Creepiest Literary Gathering Ever|Emma Garman|November 24, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Victims of typhus were simply not trying hard enough to stay healthy; they allowed themselves to be overtaken by the virus.
The Coming Bioattack|Stephan Talty|June 5, 2009|DAILY BEAST
This was before the House of Recovery was opened; so that the low mortality was of typhus in the homes of the people.
A History of Epidemics in Britain, Volume II (of 2)|Charles Creighton

A physician at Tralee reported that the back lanes of the town, crowded with cabins, were seldom free from typhus.
A History of Epidemics in Britain, Volume II (of 2)|Charles Creighton
The typhus of the ox has such distinct and strongly marked characteristics that it is not easily mistaken.
On the cattle plague: or, Contagious typhus in horned cattle. Its history, origin, description, and treatment|Honor Bourguignon
She had never seen the curls in such disorder, and she reflected that there had been a death from typhus recently.
Felix Holt, The Radical|George Eliot
You might as well tell me that having the typhus will teach a man patience the next time he catches a fever!
The Dodd Family Abroad, Vol. I.(of II)|Charles James Lever

British Dictionary definitions for typhus

typhus

/ (ˈtaɪfəs) /

noun

any one of a group of acute infectious rickettsial diseases characterized by high fever, skin rash, and severe headacheAlso called: typhus fever

Derived forms of typhus

typhous, adjective

Word Origin for typhus

C18: from New Latin tӯphus, from Greek tuphos fever; related to tuphein to smoke

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

Medical definitions for typhus

typhus

[ tī′fəs ]

n.

Any of several forms of infectious disease caused by Rickettsia, especially those transmitted by fleas, lice, or mites, and characterized generally by severe headache, sustained high fever, depression, delirium, and the eruption of red rashes on the skin.camp fever prison fever

Other words from typhus

ty′phous (-fəs) adj.

Scientific definitions for typhus

typhus

[ tī′fəs ]

Any of several forms of an infectious disease caused by bacteria of the genus Rickettsia transmitted by fleas, mites, or especially lice, and characterized by severe headache, high fever, and skin rash. Louse-born bacteria that cause typhus are especially virulent and can cause epidemics of the disease, which may be fatal in people with weakened immune systems.

Cultural definitions for typhus

typhus

[ (teye-fuhs) ]

A group of acute and contagious diseases, often fatal, marked by severe headaches and high fever. Typhus is transmitted to humans by fleas, lice, or mites that are infected with the microorganism that causes the disease.