malaria

[ muh-lair-ee-uh ]

noun

1. Pathology. any of a group of diseases, usually intermittent or remittent, characterized by attacks of chills, fever, and sweating: formerly supposed to be due to swamp exhalations but now known to be caused by a parasitic protozoan, which is transferred to the human bloodstream by a mosquito of the genus Anopheles and which occupies and destroys red blood cells.
2. Archaic. unwholesome or poisonous air.

malaria

/ məˈlɛərɪə /

noun

1. an infectious disease characterized by recurring attacks of chills and fever, caused by the bite of an anopheles mosquito infected with any of four protozoans of the genus Plasmodium ( P. vivax, P. falciparum, P. malariae, or P. ovale )

malaria

/ mə-lâr′ē-ə /

1. An infectious disease of tropical areas caused by the parasitic infection of red blood cells by a protozoan of the genus Plasmodium, which is transmitted by the bite of an infected female mosquito. Malaria is characterized by recurrent episodes of chills, fever, sweating, and anemia and is endemic in Africa, Central America, and much of Southern Asia and northern South America.

malaria

1. An infectious disease caused by a parasite that is transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito. Persons suffering from malaria experience periodic episodes of chills and fever.

Derived Forms

• maˈlarial, adjective

Other Words From

• ma·lari·al ma·lari·an ma·lari·ous adjective
• nonma·lari·al adjective
• nonma·lari·an adjective
• nonma·lari·ous adjective
• postma·lari·al adjective
• pseudo·ma·lari·a noun
• unma·lari·al adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of malaria¹

1730–40; < Italian, contraction of mala aria bad air

Word History and Origins

Origin of malaria¹

C18: from Italian mala aria bad air, from the belief that the disease was caused by the unwholesome air in swampy districts

Example Sentences

Cases of dengue fever are at an all-time high and dengue, malaria and West Nile virus have spread to places they were never found before.

From BBC

Nyakuma has caught malaria twice in a matter of months.

From BBC

Malaria kills at least 600,000 people every year, nearly all of them in Africa.

From BBC

Malaria is caused by a complex parasite which is spread by mosquito bites.

From BBC

Vaccines are now being used in some places - but monitoring the disease and avoiding mosquito bites are the most effective ways to prevent malaria.

From BBC