tuberculosis

noun

tu·​ber·​cu·​lo·​sis tu̇-ˌbər-kyə-ˈlō-səs 

tyu̇-

plural tuberculoses tu̇-ˌbər-kyə-ˈlō-ˌsēz 

tyu̇-

: a highly variable communicable disease of humans and some other vertebrates that is caused by the tubercle bacillus and rarely in the U.S. by a related mycobacterium (Mycobacterium bovis), that affects especially the lungs but may spread to other areas (such as the kidney or spinal column), and that is characterized by fever, cough, difficulty in breathing, formation of tubercles, caseation, pleural effusions, and fibrosis

Examples of tuberculosis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Detecting poached animal products, identifying tuberculosis infection and finding hidden landmines are some of the efforts the rats have been critical in furthering. — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 20 Aug. 2026

The Colorado Attorney General’s Office filed a lawsuit Wednesday seeking to force the operator of the state’s sole immigrant detention center to comply with a tuberculosis investigation at the facility. — Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 19 Aug. 2026

The rats were trained in partnership with Belgian nonprofit APOPO to quickly and accurately sniff out landmines, tuberculosis infections, and trafficked wildlife products, according to an announcement from the Sacramento Zoo on Instagram. — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 19 Aug. 2026

The Mayo Clinic says tuberculosis is a serious bacterial infection that affects the lungs and can spread when someone with it coughs, sneezes, or even sings. — Matthew Ablon, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

New Latin

First Known Use

1839, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tuberculosis

• amyloidosis
• anaplasmosis
• anastomosis
• aponeurosis
• apotheosis
• aspergillosis
• blastomycosis
• coccidiosis
• cryptococcosis
• cysticercosis
• endocytosis
• exocytosis

Kids Definition

tuberculosis

noun

tu·​ber·​cu·​lo·​sis t(y)u̇-ˌbər-kyə-ˈlō-səs 

: a disease of human beings and some other vertebrates caused by a bacterium and usually marked by wasting, fever, and formation of cheesy tubercles that in human beings occur mostly in the lungs

tuberculous

t(y)u̇-ˈbər-kyə-ləs

adjective

Medical Definition

tuberculosis

noun

tu·​ber·​cu·​lo·​sis t(y)u̇-ˌbər-kyə-ˈlō-səs 

plural tuberculoses -ˌsēz 

: a usually chronic highly variable disease that is caused by a bacterium of the genus Mycobacterium (M. tuberculosis) and rarely in the United States by a related mycobacterium (M. bovis), is usually communicated by inhalation of the airborne causative agent, affects especially the lungs but may spread to other areas (as the kidney or spinal column) from local lesions or by way of the lymph or blood vessels, and is characterized by fever, cough, difficulty in breathing, inflammatory infiltrations, formation of tubercles, caseation, pleural effusion, and fibrosis

called also TB