whooping cough

[hoo-ping, hoop-ing]

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

/ 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

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

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of whooping cough¹

First recorded in 1730–40

Example Sentences

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

From Los Angeles Times

Cases of whooping cough, or pertussis, for instance, used to be rare, but are now a monthly occurrence, she said.

From BBC

TAPPER: Hepatitis A, whooping cough, and chickenpox cases are rising in Florida.

From Salon

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

From BBC

Back then, pharmaceutical companies faced hundreds of lawsuits alleging that the vaccine protecting kids from whooping cough, diphtheria and tetanus caused unrelenting seizures that led to severe disabilities.

From Salon