cholera

noun

chol·​era ˈkä-lə-rə 

: any of several diseases of humans and domestic animals usually marked by severe gastrointestinal symptoms

especially : an acute diarrheal disease caused by an enterotoxin produced by a comma-shaped gram-negative bacillus (Vibrio cholerae synonym V. comma) when it is present in large numbers in the proximal (see proximal sense 2) part of the human small intestine

Examples of cholera in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As a result, deaths from cholera, dysentery and typhoid fever fell dramatically. — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026

Kirsten’s best friend dies of cholera within the first few chapters. — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 3 July 2026

Floods, for example, often trigger outbreaks of diseases like cholera. — Maryanne Murray Buechner, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026

Dengue and malaria run rampant, and cholera, introduced by United Nations peacekeepers from Nepal after the 2010 earthquake, has killed 10,000 and infected nearly 1 million more. — Paul Vallas, Chicago Tribune, 22 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin, "acute gastroenteritis," borrowed from Greek choléra — more at choler

First Known Use

1601, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing cholera

• Asiatic cholera
• cholera morbus
• hog cholera

Kids Definition

cholera

noun

chol·​era ˈkäl-ə-rə 

: any of several diseases usually marked by severe vomiting and diarrhea

Medical Definition

cholera

noun

chol·​era ˈkäl-ə-rə 

: any of several diseases of humans and domestic animals usually marked by severe gastrointestinal symptoms: as

a

: an acute diarrheal disease caused by an enterotoxin produced by various strains of a comma-shaped gram-negative bacterium of the genus Vibrio (V. cholerae) when it is present in large numbers in the proximal part of the human small intestine see asiatic cholera

b

: fowl cholera

c

: hog cholera

choleraic

ˌkäl-ə-ˈrā-ik 

adjective