Pathology. inflammation of a mucous membrane, esp. of the respiratory tract, accompanied by excessive secretions.
Origin: 1350–1400; ME < LL catarrhus < Gk katárrous lit., down-flowing, equiv. to katarr(eîn) to flow down (kata-cata-+ rheîn to flow) + -ous, var. of -eos (theme vowel + adj. suffix)
ca·tarrh (kə-tär') n. Inflammation of mucous membranes, especially of the nose and throat.
[Middle English catarre, from Old French catarrhe, from Late Latin catarrhus, from Greek katarrous, from katarrein, to flow down : kata-, cata- + rhein, to flow; see sreu- in Indo-European roots.] ca·tarrh'al, ca·tarrh'ous adj., ca·tarrh'al·ly adv.
Main Entry: ca·tarrh Pronunciation: k&-'tär Function: noun : inflammation of a mucous membrane in humans or animals; especially: one chronically affecting the human nose and air passages —ca·tarrh·al/-&l/adjective —ca·tarrh·al·ly/-&-lE/adverb