Definition of diphtheria Diphtheria

/dɪfθɪˈɹiʌ/ - [difthireeu] - diph•the•ri•a

We found 4 definitions of diphtheria from 4 different sources.

What does diphtheria mean?

WordNet

Noun

Plural: diphtherias

diphtheria - acute contagious infection caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae; marked by the formation of a false membrane in the throat and other air passages causing difficulty in breathing

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Webster DictionaryWebster's Unabridged Dictionary 📘

diphtheria (n.)
A very dangerous contagious disease in which the air passages, and especially the throat, become coated with a false membrane, produced by the solidification of an inflammatory exudation. Cf. Group.

Chambers DictionaryChamber's 20th Century Dictionary 📕

diphtheria
dif-thē′ri-a, n. a throat disease in which the air-passages become covered and impeded with a leathery membrane, and a dangerous fever is present.—adj. Diphtherit′ic. [A coinage of 1859 from Gr. diphthera, leather.]