Main Entry: men·in·gi·tis

Pronunciation: \ˌmen-ən-ˈjīt-əs\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural men·in·git·i·des \-ˈjit-ə-ˌdēz\

1 : inflammation of the meninges and especially of the pia mater and the arachnoid
2 : a disease that may be either a mild illness caused by any of numerous viruses (as various coxsackieviruses) or a more severe usually life-threatening illness caused by a bacterium (especially the meningococcus or the serotype designated B of Hemophilus influenzae), that may be associated with fever, headache, vomiting, malaise, and stiff neck, and that if untreated in bacterial forms may progress to confusion, stupor, convulsions, coma, and death