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

On June 7, 1999, Fred Trump was admitted to Long Island Jewish Medical Center, not far from the house in Jamaica Estates, for treatment of pneumonia. — Susanne Craig, The Seattle Times, "Trump engaged in suspect tax schemes as he reaped riches from father," 2 Oct. 2018 After 53 days in the hospital and multiple complications, including pneumonia and blood clots, doctors diagnosed Yani with lupus, an autoimmune disorder. — Daniel Wilson, sacbee, "Sacramento Make-A-Wish teen ‘touched and grateful’ to be honorary Kings dancer," 11 July 2018 Two of the eight could have pneumonia, and all were being treated with antibiotics and vaccinations for tetanus and rabies, the New York Times’s Richard C. Paddock and Mike Ives reported yesterday. — Colby Itkowitz, Washington Post, "The Health 202: Kavanaugh may not completely gut Obamacare if he makes it to the Supreme Court," 11 July 2018 The cause was complications of pneumonia, her niece Renee Whitenett said. — Sam Roberts, New York Times, "Kathy Shaw, Watchdog on Clergy Sexual Abuse, Dies at 72," 26 June 2018 Staff at Bugworks recount stories of friends in their forties dying in hospital from pneumonia, or from a urinary tract infection that lasts months as one antibiotic after another fails to work. — Ari Altstedter, Bloomberg.com, "The Startups Waging War Against Superbugs," 25 June 2018 The infection can result in hospitalization, pneumonia, encephalitis and even death. — Deasia Paige, Detroit Free Press, "Man left measles germs in 2 metro Detroit counties," 21 June 2018 Everyone in Seattle knew someone who had gotten divorced, or gained forty pounds in a year, or had a breakdown or a cold that turned into hospital-grade pneumonia, or just turned hollow and brittle and paranoid. — Longreads, "Trying to Kill the Want," 20 June 2018 Kelly, who is recovering from pneumonia, doesn’t plan to make an appearance at the upcoming meeting. — Morgan Greene, chicagotribune.com, "Why a ward boss in the Daley machine is having a hard time getting a park named for him," 8 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

15 Nov 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