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
Stricken with tuberculosis, his eyes red-rimmed, Doc coughs delicately and matches Ringo line for line in Latin.
—
Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2025
The hospital became a national training facility for doctors treating patients with tuberculosis, becoming known as the Will Rogers Institute.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 24 June 2025
Past research has also found that scavengers help keep livestock healthy, such as by preventing the spread of diseases like anthrax, bovine tuberculosis and brucellosis.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 June 2025
Education Department freezes Harvard's research funding, seeking compliance with Trump administration
Harvard has said the loss of research funding interrupts work on topics including tuberculosis, chemotherapy, pandemic preparedness, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 29 May 2025
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Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2025
The hospital became a national training facility for doctors treating patients with tuberculosis, becoming known as the Will Rogers Institute.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 24 June 2025
Past research has also found that scavengers help keep livestock healthy, such as by preventing the spread of diseases like anthrax, bovine tuberculosis and brucellosis.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 June 2025
Education Department freezes Harvard's research funding, seeking compliance with Trump administration
Harvard has said the loss of research funding interrupts work on topics including tuberculosis, chemotherapy, pandemic preparedness, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for tuberculosis
Cite this Entry
“Tuberculosis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tuberculosis. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
adjective
t(y)u̇-ˈbər-kyə-ləs
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
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