tuberculosis

noun

tu·​ber·​cu·​lo·​sis tu̇-ˌbər-kyə-ˈlō-səs 

tyu̇-

plural tuberculoses tu̇-ˌbər-kyə-ˈlō-ˌsēz 

tyu̇-

: a highly variable communicable disease of humans and some other vertebrates that is caused by the tubercle bacillus and rarely in the U.S. by a related mycobacterium (Mycobacterium bovis), that affects especially the lungs but may spread to other areas (such as the kidney or spinal column), and that is characterized by fever, cough, difficulty in breathing, formation of tubercles, caseation, pleural effusions, and fibrosis

Examples of tuberculosis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There are three active cases of tuberculosis in Maine as of this week as TB continues to increase across the country, the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported, according to the Portland Press Herald. —Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2025

Growing Up With Aunt Edna To Williams-Mbengue, Edna Lewis was simply Aunt Edna, the beloved caretaker who relocated to the Bronx (where Williams-Mbengue grew up) when her mother fell ill with tuberculosis and sought treatment in Philadelphia. —Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 5 Sep. 2025

Strong had died at age 55 of tuberculosis 12 months earlier. —Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 31 Aug. 2025

Starvation and malnutrition weaken the immune system for both children and adults, which makes the citizens of Gaza much more susceptible to infections like pneumonia, tuberculosis and malaria; to name a few. —Omer Awan, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin

First Known Use

1839, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tuberculosis

• amyloidosis
• anaplasmosis
• anastomosis
• aponeurosis
• apotheosis
• aspergillosis
• blastomycosis
• coccidiosis
• cryptococcosis
• cysticercosis
• endocytosis
• exocytosis

Kids Definition

tuberculosis

noun

tu·​ber·​cu·​lo·​sis t(y)u̇-ˌbər-kyə-ˈlō-səs 

: a disease of human beings and some other vertebrates caused by a bacterium and usually marked by wasting, fever, and formation of cheesy tubercles that in human beings occur mostly in the lungs

tuberculous

t(y)u̇-ˈbər-kyə-ləs

adjective

Medical Definition

tuberculosis

noun

tu·​ber·​cu·​lo·​sis t(y)u̇-ˌbər-kyə-ˈlō-səs 

plural tuberculoses -ˌsēz 

: a usually chronic highly variable disease that is caused by a bacterium of the genus Mycobacterium (M. tuberculosis) and rarely in the United States by a related mycobacterium (M. bovis), is usually communicated by inhalation of the airborne causative agent, affects especially the lungs but may spread to other areas (as the kidney or spinal column) from local lesions or by way of the lymph or blood vessels, and is characterized by fever, cough, difficulty in breathing, inflammatory infiltrations, formation of tubercles, caseation, pleural effusion, and fibrosis

called also TB