dysentery

noun dys·en·tery \ ˈdi-sᵊn-ˌter-ē , -ˌte-rē \

Definition of dysentery

plural dysenteries

1 :a disease characterized by severe diarrhea with passage of mucus and blood and usually caused by infection

2 :diarrhea

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Recent Examples of dysentery from the Web

Imagine if one of the world’s most famous rivers could naturally provide a non-antibiotic treatment for, among other things, tuberculosis, typhoid, pneumonia, cholera, dysentery, and meningitis.

— david jefferys, CNT, "The Healing Power of India’s Ganges River," 10 Aug. 2017
General Wilson contracted malaria, dysentery and other illnesses.

— daniel e. slotnik, New York Times, "Samuel V. Wilson, Ex-Director of Defense Intelligence Agency, Dies at 93," 26 June 2017
More than 60 percent of the country’s 1.3 billion people still defecate in the open, and dysentery kills hundreds of millions of children every year.

— vaishnavee sharma, The Seattle Times, "Toilet charity gets Indian village to take on Trump name," 23 June 2017
One attendee who was taken to the emergency room during the festival told NYS Music she was given a dysentery diagnosis, which is a broad term for stomach viruses accompanied by bloody stools.

— colin stutz, Billboard, "Mad Tea Party Jam Forced to Cancel Headliner After Illness Strikes Festival-Goers & Artists," 20 June 2017
One attendee who was taken to the emergency room during the festival told NYS Music she was given a dysentery diagnosis, which is a broad term for stomach viruses accompanied by bloody stools.

— colin stutz, Billboard, "Mad Tea Party Jam Forced to Cancel Headliner After Illness Strikes Festival-Goers & Artists," 19 June 2017
After a raid at Cartagena in 1586, Sir Frances Drake sailed toward Havana, when an epidemic of dysentery and scurvy broke out among his crew.

— brenda cain, cleveland.com, "How to make the mojito, one of summertime's most popular cocktails (video)," 8 June 2017
The lime juice on its own would have significantly prevented scurvy and dysentery.

— brenda cain, cleveland.com, "How to make the mojito, one of summertime's most popular cocktails (video)," 8 June 2017
He has been wracked by malaria, schistosomiasis and dysentery, lost in Amazonian jungles, stranded in the New Guinea highlands, and held up at gun point during military coups in West Africa and Suriname.

— mark price, charlotteobserver, "NC ‘snake hunter’ who survived 12 deadly bites is killed - allegedly by his wife," 15 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dysentery.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of dysentery

Middle English dissenterie, from Latin dysenteria, from Greek, from dys- + enteron intestine — more at inter-

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First Known Use: 14th century

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analgesia, angina, diabetes, hepatitis, homeopathy, logorrhea, palliate, pandemic

DYSENTERY Defined for English Language Learners

dysentery

noun

Definition of dysentery for English Language Learners

medical : a serious disease that causes severe diarrhea and a loss of blood

DYSENTERY Defined for Kids

dysentery

noun dys·en·tery \ ˈdi-sᵊn-ˌter-ē \

Definition of dysentery for Students

:a disease marked especially by severe often bloody diarrhea

Medical Dictionary

dysentery

noun dys·en·tery \ ˈdis-ᵊn-ˌter-ē \

medical Definition of dysentery

plural dysenteries

1 :a disease characterized by severe diarrhea with passage of mucus and blood and usually caused by infection

2 :diarrhea

Learn More about dysentery

See words that rhyme with dysentery Spanish Central: Translation of dysentery Nglish: Translation of dysentery for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of dysentery for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dysentery

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