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cholera

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Cholera
Relax. Take A Deep Breath. Cholera
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chol⋅er⋅a

  [kol-er-uh]
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–noun
1. Also called Asiatic cholera. Pathology. an acute, infectious disease, endemic in India and China and occasionally epidemic elsewhere, characterized by profuse diarrhea, vomiting, cramps, etc.
2. Veterinary Pathology. any of several diseases of domesticated animals that are characterized by depression, sleepiness, lack of appetite, and diarrhea.

Origin:
1350–1400 for sense of choler (def. 2); 1565–75 for current senses; ME < L < Gk choléra name of several intestinal diseases

Related forms:
chol⋅e⋅ra⋅ic  [kol-uh-rey-ik] , adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Cholera
Relax. Take A Deep Breath. Cholera
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chol·er·a   (kŏl'ər-ə)   
n.  

  1. An acute infectious disease of the small intestine, caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae and characterized by profuse watery diarrhea, vomiting, muscle cramps, severe dehydration, and depletion of electrolytes. Also called Asiatic cholera.

  2. Any of various diseases of domesticated animals, such as chickens, turkeys, or hogs, marked by severe gastroenteritis.


[Latin, cholera, jaundice; see choler.]
chol'e·ra'ic (-ə-rā'ĭk) adj., chol'e·roid' (-ə-roid') adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Cultural Dictionary

cholera [(kol-uh-ruh)]

An acute disease, and an infectious disease, caused by a kind of bacterium that affects the intestines. Transmitted by food or water that has been contaminated with raw sewage, cholera is often fatal and is characterized by severe vomiting, diarrhea, and collapse.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

cholera 
c.1386, "choler, bile, melancholy," from L. cholera, from Gk. kholera "a type of disease characterized by diarrhea, supposedly caused by choler" (Celsus), from khole "gall, bile," from khloazein "to be green," from khloros (see Chloe). But another sense of khole was "drainpipe, gutter." Revived 1565 as a name for a severe digestive disorder (rarely fatal to adults); and 1704 (especially as cholera morbus), for a highly lethal disease endemic in India, periodically breaking out in global epidemics.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: chol·era
Pronunciation: 'käl-&-r&
Function: noun
: any of several diseases of humans and domestic animals usually marked bysevere gastrointestinal symptoms: as a : an acute diarrheal disease caused by an enterotoxin produced by a comma-shaped gram-negative bacillus of the genus Vibrio (V.cholerae syn. V. comma) when it is present in large numbers in the proximal part of the human small intestine —see ASIATIC CHOLERA b : FOWL CHOLERA c : HOG CHOLERA —chol·e·ra·ic /"käl-&-'rA-ik/ adjective
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

cholera chol·er·a (kŏl'ər-ə)
n.

  1. An acute epidemic infectious disease caused by Vibrio cholerae, characterized by profuse watery diarrhea, extreme loss of fluid and electrolytes, and prostration.

  2. Any of various diseases of domesticated animals marked by severe gastroenteritis.

chol'e·ra'ic (-ə-rā'ĭk) adj.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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