dysentery

English

Etymology

From Middle English dissenterie, from Old French dissenterie, from Latin dysenteria, from Ancient Greek δυσεντερία (dusentería), from δυσ- (dus-, bad) + ἔντερα (éntera, bowels).

Pronunciation

  • (General American) IPA(key): /ˈdɪs.ənˌtɛɹ.i/
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈdɪs.ən.tə.ɹi/, /ˈdɪs.ən.tɹi/
  • Audio (Southern England):(file)

Noun

dysentery (countable and uncountable, plural dysenteries)

  1. (pathology) A disease characterised by inflammation of the intestines, especially the colon (large intestine), accompanied by pus (white blood cells) in the feces, fever, pain in the abdomen, high-volume diarrhea, and possible blood in the feces.
    • 1959, “In Old Mexico”, Tom Lehrer (music):
      We ate, we drank, and we were merry / and we got typhoid and dysentery.
  2. Diarrhea.

Derived terms

Translations

See also