dysentery

noun

dys·​en·​tery ˈdi-sᵊn-ˌter-ē How to pronounce dysentery (audio)
-ˌte-rē
plural dysenteries
1
: a disease characterized by severe diarrhea with passage of mucus and blood and usually caused by infection
2

Examples of dysentery in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Better public health measures could also have helped in the 18th and 19th centuries when presidents suffered dysentery and other infections from inadequate plumbing, sewage, and sanitation in the White House and Washington swamp. Lawrence K. Altman, STAT, 16 Feb. 2024 Children are frequently sick with amoebic dysentery. Peter S. Goodman Jes Aznar, New York Times, 30 Dec. 2023 Colonial America was awash in apple orchards, as the soil was fertile and the water full of strange, feisty bacteria that could cause all sorts of fun side effects, like dysentery and death. Allison Robicelli, Washington Post, 6 Sep. 2023 Parents desperately tried to seek help as their children became infected with diarrhea, dysentery, dengue fever and malaria. Rhea Mogul, CNN, 25 Aug. 2023 Within days of arriving to Kibera, my sister and I contracted chest infections and bloody, watery bowel movements that are symptomatic of dysentery. Jeffrey Okoro, STAT, 24 Nov. 2023 Along with violent seasickness, passengers suffered from fever, dysentery, boils, scurvy, mouth rot, rat bites, and lice so copious that they could be scraped off the body. Dorothy Wickenden, The New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2023 But when clean water is unavailable, people are forced to drink and cook with tainted water, which is more likely to harbor bacteria that can lead to intestinal diseases, such as dysentery and cholera. Erika Edwards, NBC News, 15 Nov. 2023 Smallpox, cholera, dysentery and tuberculosis were rampant in Washington. John Kelly, Washington Post, 7 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dysentery.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English dissenterie, borrowed from Latin dysenteria (Medieval Latin desintiria, dissenteria), borrowed from Greek dysentería, from dys- dys- + éntera (neuter plural) "intestines" + -ia -ia entry 1 — more at inter-

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dysentery was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near dysentery

Cite this Entry

“Dysentery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dysentery. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

dysentery

noun
dys·​en·​tery ˈdis-ən-ˌter-ē How to pronounce dysentery (audio)
1
: a disease characterized by severe diarrhea with passage of mucus and blood from the bowels
2

Medical Definition

dysentery

noun
dys·​en·​tery ˈdis-ᵊn-ˌter-ē How to pronounce dysentery (audio)
plural dysenteries
1
: a disease characterized by severe diarrhea with passage of mucus and blood and usually caused by infection
2
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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