tuberculosis

noun

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

, tyu̇-\

plural tuberculoses\ tu̇-ˌbər-kyə-ˈlō-ˌsēz

, tyu̇- \

Definition of tuberculosis

: 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

Other reasons for excluding someone from the program include a communicable disease such as active tuberculosis, MRSA, or HIV — anything that could be transferred to the students. — Stephanie Innes, AZCentral.com, "Arizona is a hotbed for the cadaver industry, and potential donors have plenty of options," 10 June 2019 It was also believed that lavender vapors could kill tuberculosis bacteria. — Kelsey Kloss, ELLE Decor, "Home Fragrances: A Brief History, From Ancient Egypt To Today," 5 Aug. 2016 More than 95 percent of tuberculosis deaths occur in developing countries, according to the World Health Organization. — Beth Mole, Ars Technica, "There’s no risk-free amount of alcohol, population-level study finds," 27 Aug. 2018 In a 2014 study published by the American Society for Microbiology, a 6 percent vinegar solution managed to kill off tuberculosis bacteria after a 30-minute exposure. — Colleen Stinchcombe, SELF, "These Are the Dirtiest Things in Your Home (Which You Should Clean Immediately)," 21 Dec. 2018 In 1854, the county opened a poorhouse and farm and gradually added an insane asylum, infirmary and tuberculosis hospital to the property. — Nereida Moreno, latimes.com, "Challenge at Chicago school construction site: Watch for 38,000 unmarked graves," 15 Apr. 2018 Two buildings at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, were evacuated on Thursday because people may have been exposed to tuberculosis, a hospital spokeswoman said. — Fox News, "Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore evacuated due to possible TB exposure," 6 July 2018 Malaria infections, along with hunger and tuberculosis, have surged since 2008. — Emily Baumgaertner, New York Times, "In a Rare Success, Paraguay Conquers Malaria," 6 July 2018 Sholts jokes that her one scientific contribution to the exhibition is a human skull collected from a man diagnosed with influenza and tuberculosis. — Daniel Fernandez, Smithsonian, "How Globalization Changed the Way We Fight Disease," 4 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tuberculosis.' 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 Jun 2019

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Time Traveler for tuberculosis

The first known use of tuberculosis was in 1839

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More Definitions for tuberculosis

tuberculosis

noun

English Language Learners Definition of tuberculosis

medical : a serious disease that mainly affects the lungs

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

tuberculosis

noun

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

, tyu̇-\

Kids Definition of tuberculosis

: a serious disease that mostly affects the lungs and in which there is fever, cough, and difficulty in breathing

tuberculosis

noun

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

plural tuberculoses\ -ˌsēz

Medical Definition of tuberculosis

: 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