Main Entry: diph·the·ria

Pronunciation: \dif-ˈthir-ē-ə, dip-\

Function: noun

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

—diph·the·ri·al \-ē-əl\ adjective