diphtheria

noun

diph·​the·​ria dif-ˈthir-ē-ə 

nonstandard

dip- 

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

diphtherial

dif-ˈthir-ē-əl 

 nonstandard  dip-

adjective

diphtheritic

ˌdif-thə-ˈri-tik 

 nonstandard  ˌdip-

adjective

Examples of diphtheria in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The last case of diphtheria that originated in the U.S. was in 1997.4 However, pertussis, also known as whooping cough, remains a persistent threat in the U.S. —Fran Kritz, Verywell Health, 4 Aug. 2025

Back then, pharmaceutical companies faced hundreds of lawsuits alleging that the vaccine protecting kids from whooping cough, diphtheria and tetanus caused unrelenting seizures that led to severe disabilities. —Patricia Callahan, CNN Money, 18 July 2025

In their annual estimate of global vaccine coverage, released Tuesday, the World Health Organization and UNICEF said about 89% of children under 1 year old got a first dose of the diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough vaccine in 2024, the same as in 2023. —Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 15 July 2025

What is DTaP, Tdap vaccine? DTaP and Tdap are combination vaccines that protect against tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough. —Caroline C. Boyle, USA Today, 20 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from French diphthérie, from Greek diphthera leather; from the toughness of the false membrane

First Known Use

circa 1851, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for diphtheria

• arteria
• bacteria
• criteria
• egeria
• listeria
• neisseria
• wisteria
• cafeteria
• cyanobacteria
• mycobacteria

Kids Definition

diphtheria

noun

diph·​the·​ria dif-ˈthir-ē-ə  dip- 

: a contagious bacterial disease with fever in which the air passages become coated with a membranous layer that often obstructs breathing

diphtheritic

ˌdif-thə-ˈrit-ik 

ˌdip-

adjective

Medical Definition

diphtheria

noun

diph·​the·​ria dif-ˈthir-ē-ə  dip- 

: 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

diphtherial

-ē-əl 

adjective