typhoid

American  

[tahy-foid] / ˈtaɪ fɔɪd /

noun

1. Also called typhoid fever.  an infectious, often fatal, febrile disease, usually of the summer months, characterized by intestinal inflammation and ulceration, caused by the typhoid bacillus, which is usually introduced with food or drink.

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adjective

1. resembling typhus; typhous.

2. typhoidal.

typhoid British  

/ ˈtaɪfɔɪd /

adjective

1. resembling typhus

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noun

1. short for typhoid fever

Other Word Forms

• antityphoid adjective
• pretyphoid adjective

Etymology

Origin of typhoid

First recorded in 1790–1800; typh(us) + -oid

Explanation

One of the worst infectious diseases in the world is typhoid. If Salmonella typhosa is in your food or water, you could catch typhoid. Typhoid consists of intestinal inflammation plus ulceration: that means your stomach is going to hurt, and you will probably spend a lot of time in the bathroom (possibly experiencing distress at both ends of your body). Typhoid often occurs in places with poor sanitation.

Example Sentences

Suddenly she was a single mother of two daughters, mourning the deaths of her husband from typhoid fever and their first daughter, who died of brain fever.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 27, 2026

That's because in developing nations like India — where I was born and raised — outbreaks from waterborne diseases like typhoid and cholera are ubiquitous.

From Salon • Dec. 24, 2024

Three siblings died in 1904, all from typhoid, the kind of disease that would race through an enclosed population of vulnerable children.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 30, 2024

"There is no drinking water," Rouzatullah says, warning there might be outbreaks of waterborne diseases such as typhoid and dysentery.

From BBC • May 15, 2024

In 1862, she had helped nurse Willie Lincoln, ill with typhoid fever, until his death.

From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson