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diphtheria
[ dif-theer-ee-uh, dip- ]
noun
- a febrile, infectious disease caused by the bacillus Corynebacterium diphtheriae, and characterized by the formation of a false membrane in the air passages, especially the throat.
diphtheria
/ dɪpˈθɛrɪk; ˌdɪpθəˈrɪtɪk; dɪf-; dɪpˈθɪərɪə; dɪf-; dɪf- /
noun
- an acute contagious disease caused by the bacillus Corynebacterium diphtheriae, producing fever, severe prostration, and difficulty in breathing and swallowing as the result of swelling of the throat and formation of a false membrane
diphtheria
/ dĭf-thîr′ē-ə,dĭp- /
- An infectious disease caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae and characterized by fever, swollen glands, and the formation of a membrane in the throat that prevents breathing. Infants are routinely vaccinated against diphtheria, which was once a common cause of death in children.
diphtheria
- An acute disease , and a contagious disease , caused by bacteria that invade mucous membranes in the body, especially those found in the throat. The bacteria produce toxic substances that can spread throughout the body.
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Notes
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Derived Forms
- diphˈtherial, adjective
- ˈdiphtheˌroid, adjective
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Word History and Origins
Origin of diphtheria1
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Word History and Origins
Origin of diphtheria1
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Example Sentences
One of his brothers died of diphtheria during the Nazi siege of Leningrad in World War II.
Diphtheria, on the other hand, is perfectly capable of causing an outbreak in a vulnerable population.
Thankfully, diphtheria has been essentially eliminated in the United States.
Instead, the concerns reflect the fact that unlike measles or diphtheria or rubella, HPV is not spread by casual contact.
His optimism led him to compare ending poverty to eradicating scarlet fever and diphtheria.
Fibrinous casts are characteristic of fibrinous bronchitis, but may also be found in diphtheria of the smaller bronchi.
A germ flies from a stagnant pool, and the laughing child, its mother's darling, dies dreadfully of diphtheria.
Pseudomembranous conjunctivitis generally shows either streptococci or diphtheria bacilli.
So long as Christians have an overwhelming majority who will not touch the drains, diphtheria must continue.
School-children at times have what appears to be mere sore throat but which is really diphtheria in the naturally immune.
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