Examples of poliomyelitis in a Sentence
Dr. Céline Gounder, CBS News, 15 Sep. 2022
Eradicating poliomyelitis: India's journey from hyperendemic to polio-free status.
—Rebecca Kreston, Discover Magazine, 28 Apr. 2016
These are frightening times as the coronavirus spreads in ways reminiscent of poliomyelitis.
—Carl Kurlander, Discover Magazine, 2 Apr. 2020
Cases of paralytic poliomyelitis disease plummeted from over 15,000 a year in the early 1950s to under 100 in the 1960s and then down to fewer than 10 in the 1970s.
—Dr. Céline Gounder, CBS News, 15 Sep. 2022
Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a highly infectious viral disease that largely affects children under age 5 that is mainly spread through contact with human fecal matter.
—Hyder Abbasi, NBC News, 11 Aug. 2022
Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a viral disease that affects the nervous system.
—Fox News, 23 July 2022
Polio, short for poliomyelitis, is highly contagious and spreads via person-to-person contact even when the original contagious patient doesn't show symptoms.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 22 July 2022
Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a crippling and potentially fatal infectious disease, which invades the nervous system and spreads mainly through contamination by fecal matter.
—Adela Suliman, BostonGlobe.com, 23 June 2022
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'poliomyelitis.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
borrowed from New Latin (in German context), from Greek poliós "pale gray (as of human hair), grizzled" + -o- -o- + myelós "marrow" (alluding to the gray matter of the ventral horns of the spinal cord, which the disease affects) + New Latin -itis -itis — more at fallow entry 1, myelo-
Note: The word was apparently introduced by the German physician Adolf Kussmaul (1822-1902), in a publication by his assistant, Anton Frey, "Aus der Klinik des Herrn Geh. Rath Prof. Kussmaul in Freiburg i. B. Ein Fall von subacuter Lähmung Erwachsener—wahrscheinlich Poliomyelitis anterior subacuta," Berliner klinische Wochenschrift, 11. Jahrgang, No. 45 (9 November 1874), pp. 566-68. Compare earlier New Latin myelitis myelitis.
1875, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near poliomyelitis
Cite this Entry
“Poliomyelitis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poliomyelitis. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
poliomyelitis
noun
called also infantile paralysis
Medical Definition
poliomyelitis
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on poliomyelitis
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for poliomyelitis
Nglish: Translation of poliomyelitis for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about poliomyelitis
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