diarrhea

noun

di·​ar·​rhea ˌdī-ə-ˈrē-ə How to pronounce diarrhea (audio)
1
: abnormally frequent intestinal evacuations with more or less fluid stools (see stool entry 1 sense 3a)
symptoms include fever, nausea, and diarrhea
2
: excessive flow
verbal diarrhea
diarrheal adjective
diarrheic adjective
diarrhetic adjective

Examples of diarrhea in a Sentence

The symptoms of the disease include fever, nausea, and diarrhea. I was taken with severe diarrhea while attending the conference.
Recent Examples on the Web More serious cases of TD—those that involve bloody diarrhea or more than three watery poops a day—may require a course of antibiotics to get your bowels back on track. Julia Ries, SELF, 13 Sep. 2023 On September 1, 2023, a passenger on board a Delta Airlines flight from Atlanta to Barcelona experienced extreme diarrhea, forcing the aircraft to make a u-turn. Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, 7 Sep. 2023 Possible side effects of the RSV vaccine Usually mild side effects such as pain, redness, and swelling where the shot is given, fatigue, fever, headache, nausea, diarrhea, and muscle or joint pain are possible after RSV vaccination. Cheryl V. Jackson, The Indianapolis Star, 7 Sep. 2023 Overeating at night could cause symptoms like headaches, diarrhea, and stomachaches the next day. Toby Amidor, Rd, Cdn, Health, 1 Sep. 2023 Consuming raw or undercooked chicken can lead to food poisoning, stomach pains, nausea, and/or diarrhea (so not fun!)—thanks to bacteria often found in chicken that typically gets killed off during the cooking process (grilling, frying, or baking). Elizabeth Bacharach, Women's Health, 29 Aug. 2023 When stressed, dogs may develop gastrointestinal issues like diarrhea or appetite loss. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 28 Aug. 2023 While many experience no symptoms, those infected can experience head and body aches, joint pain, vomiting, diarrhea and rashes, according to the health and human services department. Paighten Harkins, The Salt Lake Tribune, 29 Aug. 2023 For example, diarrhea transmitted from bacterial contamination is estimated to cause over 500,000 deaths annually. IEEE Spectrum, 28 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'diarrhea.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English diaria, from Late Latin diarrhoea, from Greek diarrhoia, from diarrhein to flow through, from dia- + rhein to flow — more at stream

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of diarrhea was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near diarrhea

Cite this Entry

“Diarrhea.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diarrhea. Accessed 29 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

diarrhea

noun
di·​ar·​rhea ˌdī-ə-ˈrē-ə How to pronounce diarrhea (audio)
: abnormally frequent and watery bowel movements

Medical Definition

diarrhea

noun
di·​ar·​rhea
variants or chiefly British diarrhoea
: abnormally frequent intestinal evacuations with more or less fluid stools

More from Merriam-Webster on diarrhea

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