tuberculosis

[ too-bur-kyuh-loh-sis, tyoo- ]

noun

, Pathology.

1. an infectious disease that may affect almost any tissue of the body, especially the lungs, caused by the organism Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and characterized by tubercles.
2. this disease when affecting the lungs; pulmonary phthisis; consumption.
3. any disease caused by a mycobacterium.

tuberculosis

/ tjʊˌbɜːkjʊˈləʊsɪs /

noun

1. a communicable disease caused by infection with the tubercle bacillus, most frequently affecting the lungs ( pulmonary tuberculosis ) Also calledconsumptionphthisis TB

tuberculosis

/ t-bûr′kyə-lō′sĭs /

1. An infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis that is transmitted through inhalation and is characterized by cough, fever, shortness of breath, weight loss, and the appearance of inflammatory substances and tubercles in the lungs. Tuberculosis is highly contagious and can spread to other parts of the body, especially in people with weakened immune systems. Although the incidence of the disease has declined since the introduction of antibiotic treatment in the 1950's, it is still a major public-health problem throughout the world, especially in Asia and Africa.

tuberculosis

1. An infectious disease caused by bacteria that mainly attack the lungs . The disease is characterized by the formation of patches, called tubercles, that appear in the lungs and, in later stages, the bones, joints, and other parts of the body. Tuberculosis is treated with combinations of antibiotics and is no longer considered a major health problem in industrialized countries. It was formerly called consumption.

Notes

Years ago, tuberculosis (consumption) was a major killer; it often figures in literature and drama.

In recent years, the incidence of tuberculosis has been on the increase in the United States, particularly in large cities, mainly because the strains of the bacterium have developed resistance to antibiotics .

Other Words From

• anti·tu·bercu·losis adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of tuberculosis¹

First recorded in 1855–60; from New Latin tūberculōsis; tubercle, -osis

Word History and Origins

Origin of tuberculosis¹

C19: from New Latin; see tubercle , -osis

Example Sentences

But their mother, my grandmother, sick with tuberculosis, asked a friend to adopt them when she died.

From Los Angeles Times

"When the first fictional vampire appeared in 1819, there was a strong link with tuberculosis," she says.

From BBC

“Then we started selling life insurance policies, because no one else would sell it to us, because we were all full of tuberculosis, and we were a mongrel race of Indian blood and Mexican blood,” deadpanned Rogelio Briones, a former La Mutua president, who led me on a tour of the headquarters.

From Los Angeles Times

JD Vance previously suggested without evidence that Haitian immigrants in the U.S. were the cause of “skyrocketing” HIV and tuberculosis diagnoses.

From Salon

Among the stories that Vance spewed in appearances on TV talk shows Sunday was that there are 20,000 Haitians in Springfield, that they’re illegal immigrants, that they were “dumped” on this unsuspecting municipality, that they’re responsible for “skyrocketing” HIV and tuberculosis cases, that they’ve driven up housing prices, and of course that they’re stealing and eating the city’s geese and household pets.

From Los Angeles Times