whooping cough

American  

[hoo-ping, hoop-ing] / ˈhu pɪŋ, ˈhʊp ɪŋ /

noun

Pathology.

1. an infectious disease of the respiratory mucous membrane, caused by Bordetella pertussis, characterized by a series of short, convulsive coughs followed by a deep inspiration accompanied by a whooping sound.

---

whooping cough British  

/ ˈhuːpɪŋ /

noun

1. Technical name: pertussis.  an acute infectious disease characterized by coughing spasms that end with a shrill crowing sound on inspiration: caused by infection with the bacillus Bordetella pertussis

---

whooping cough Scientific  

/ ho̅o̅′pĭng,hp′ĭng,wo̅o̅′pĭng,wp′ĭng /

1. An infectious disease caused by the bacterium Bordatella pertussis, seen most commonly in children and characterized by coughing spasms often ending in loud gasps. Vaccinations usually given during infancy confer immunity to the disease.

2. Also called pertussis

---

whooping cough Cultural  

1. An acute and infectious disease occurring mainly in children and characterized by violent coughing. Caused by a kind of bacteria, whooping cough has largely been eradicated in the United States through a program of vaccination, which is begun when infants are just three months old.

---

Etymology

Origin of whooping cough

First recorded in 1730–40

Example Sentences

In the 1780s Thomas Jefferson was serving as a diplomat in France when the Marquis de Lafayette brought him a message of unwelcome news from Virginia: His young daughter Lucy had died of whooping cough.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026

In 1962, President Kennedy signed the Vaccination Assistance Act, which ensured that all children under five, regardless of income, could receive vaccines against polio, diphtheria, whooping cough and tetanus.

From Salon • Jan. 4, 2026

Another disease to watch out for is pertussis, also known as whooping cough.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 15, 2025

The death, which occurred between January and June 2025, is the first fatal case of whooping cough in the UK this year.

From BBC • Aug. 31, 2025

He diagnosed me with whooping cough and instructed Grandmother and Mother to take all the rugs off the floor and draperies off the windows at our house.

From "March Forward, Girl" by Melba Pattillo Beals