gonorrhea

noun

gon·​or·​rhea ˌgä-nə-ˈrē-ə 

: a contagious inflammation of the genital mucous membrane caused by the gonococcus

called also clap

gonorrheal

ˌgä-nə-ˈrē-əl 

adjective

Examples of gonorrhea in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

When left untreated, gonorrhea can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility. — ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026

One Herr Steinbrüchel, of Zurich, was said to have been miraculously cured of his chest disease, and before long preparations of Gaisschottenkur were being used to combat everything from dysentery to gonorrhea. — D. T. Max, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026

Providers typically only consider testing for ureaplasma after ruling out gonorrhea, chlamydia, Mgen, trichomoniasis, yeast and bacterial vaginosis, a slow process that can leave patients cycling through treatments for weeks. — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 19 Oct. 2026

Providers typically consider testing for it only after ruling out the more common suspects behind STI-like symptoms, including gonorrhea, chlamydia, Mgen, trichomoniasis, yeast and bacterial vaginosis. — Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Late Latin, morbid loss of semen, from Greek gonorrhoia, from gon- + -rrhoia -rrhea

First Known Use

circa 1526, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for gonorrhea

• aliya
• aliyah
• althea
• apnoea
• dyspnea
• dyspnoea
• hosea
• idea
• kshatriya
• kyrie
• lutea
• maria

Kids Definition

gonorrhea

noun

gon·​or·​rhea ˌgän-ə-ˈrē-ə 

: a contagious inflammatory venereal disease of the genital and urinary organs that is caused by the gonococcus

called also clap

gonorrheal

-ˈrē-əl 

adjective

Medical Definition

gonorrhea

noun

gon·​or·​rhea

variants or chiefly British gonorrhoea

ˌgän-ə-ˈrē-ə 

: a contagious inflammation of the genital mucous membrane caused by the gonococcus

called also clap

gonorrheal adjective

or chiefly British gonorrhoeal

-ˈrē-əl