Main Entry:

diph·the·ria

Pronunciation:

\dif-ˈthir-ē-ə, ÷dip-\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

New Latin, from French diphthérie, from Greek diphthera leather; from the toughness of the false membrane

Date:

circa 1851

: an acute febrile contagious disease typically marked by the formation of a false membrane especially in the throat and caused by a gram-positive bacterium (Corynebacterium diphtheriae) that produces a toxin causing inflammation of the heart and nervous system

— diph·the·ri·al \-ē-əl\ adjective

— diph·the·rit·ic \ˌdif-thə-ˈri-tik, ÷ˌdip-\ adjective