pneumonia

noun

pneu·mo·nia | \ nu̇-ˈmō-nyə ,

nyu̇- \

Definition of pneumonia

: an acute disease that is marked by inflammation of lung tissue accompanied by infiltration of alveoli and often bronchioles with white blood cells (such as neutrophils) and fibrinous exudate, is characterized by fever, chills, cough, difficulty in breathing, fatigue, chest pain, and reduced lung expansion, and is typically caused by an infectious agent (such as a bacterium, virus, or fungus) — see bronchopneumonia, pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, primary atypical pneumonia — compare pneumonitis

Examples of pneumonia in a Sentence

He caught pneumonia over the winter.

Recent Examples on the Web

Legionnaires’ disease is a type of pneumonia that is caused by the bacteria Legionella, which grows in warm water. — Carl Campanile, Fox News, "Legionnaires' outbreak sickens 8 in NYC," 13 July 2018 Legionnaires’ disease is a serious type of pneumonia commonly caused by breathing in water vapor that contains Legionella bacteria. — Zoe Greenberg, New York Times, "Legionnaires’ Disease Sickens 11 in Upper Manhattan," 12 July 2018 As for the third group of four boys and the coach, one of them had mild pneumonia upon arriving at the hospital Tuesday, Thongchai said. — Navaon Siradapuvadol And Mike Ives, BostonGlobe.com, "Soccer Players and Their Coach Are on the Mend, Thailand Says," 12 July 2018 Insulin-dependent diabetes, infections like pneumonias …. — Alexia Fernandez, PEOPLE.com, "Faith Healer Parents Plead Guilty in the Death of Baby After They Chose Prayer Over Medical Help," 10 July 2018 In this study, the team wanted to flag Gram-negative bacteria, which have a tougher cell wall and include difficult-to-treat infections like E. coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which can cause pneumonia. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "New “Immunobiotic” Could Treat Antibiotic-Resistant Superbugs," 6 July 2018 Need for a standard The discord on the committee could hamstring years of work toward a standard that researchers hope will reduce Legionnaires' disease, a sometimes deadly pneumonia-like illness. — John Wisely, Detroit Free Press, "Ethics charges could hurt fight against Legionnaires' disease," 5 July 2018 Shingles, which is triggered by dormant chicken pox virus, causes a painful blistering rash along with possible complications including searing nerve pain and pneumonia. — CBS News, "CDC warns of shingles vaccine shortage," 29 June 2018 Major culprits included bacteria that cause a dangerous pneumonia called Legionnaires disease; Pseudomonas, which causes a rash and swimmer’s ear; and, again, the diarrhea-dealing parasite, Cryptosporidium. — Rachel Becker, The Verge, "There might be poop in the water you’re swimming in so please don’t swallow it, CDC says," 29 June 2018

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

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Last Updated

20 Sep 2018

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Time Traveler for pneumonia

The first known use of pneumonia was in 1603

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More Definitions for pneumonia

pneumonia

noun

English Language Learners Definition of pneumonia

medical : a serious disease that affects the lungs and makes it difficult to breathe

See the full definition for pneumonia in the English Language Learners Dictionary

pneumonia

noun

pneu·mo·nia | \ nu̇-ˈmō-nyə ,

nyu̇-ˈmō- \

Kids Definition of pneumonia

: a serious illness affecting the lungs that is marked especially by fever, cough, and difficulty in breathing

pneumonia

noun

pneu·mo·nia | \ n(y)u̇-ˈmō-nyə

Medical Definition of pneumonia

: an acute disease that is marked by inflammation of lung tissue accompanied by infiltration of alveoli and often bronchioles with white blood cells (as neutrophils) and fibrinous exudate, is characterized by fever, chills, cough, difficulty in breathing, fatigue, chest pain, and reduced lung expansion, and is typically caused by an infectious agent (as a bacterium, virus, or fungus) — see bronchopneumonia, lobar pneumonia, pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, primary atypical pneumonia