typhus

noun ty·phus \ ˈtī-fəs \

Updated on: 18 Mar 2018

Definition of typhus

: any of various bacterial diseases caused by rickettsias: such as

a : a severe human febrile disease that is caused by one (Rickettsia prowazekii) transmitted especially by body lice and is marked by high fever, stupor alternating with delirium, intense headache, and a dark red rash

b : murine typhus

c : scrub typhus

See typhus defined for English-language learners

See typhus defined for kids

Recent Examples of typhus from the Web

These cargo holds weren’t intended to carry passengers, and the lack of proper ventilation and sanitation meant that outbreaks of typhus, cholera and other fatal diseases were common.

— jason l. riley, WSJ, "Lessons From the Rise of America’s Irish," 13 Mar. 2018
For the 10-day trip to Kenya, the family had to be immunized for yellow fever, typhus and malaria and cover all their own expenses.

— linda gandee/special to cleveland.com, cleveland.com, "Bay Village mayor's daughters reminisce about their trip to Kenya," 31 Dec. 2017
Tesch & Stabenow then oversaw the shipping of the product and equipment to SS and Wehrmacht barracks, instructing the personnel about use on the proper enemy: lice, the main carriers of typhus.

— yuliya komska, Smithsonian, "Inside the House of Zyklon B," 10 Oct. 2017
They are known to be reservoirs for such threats to humans as hantavirus, typhus and the bacterium responsible for bubonic plague.

— mark johnson, jsonline.com, "Can math be used to predict an outbreak?," 2 Nov. 2017
Anne Frank, then 15, died there of typhus in February 1945, shortly after Margot, who died around her 19th birthday, according to the Anne Frank House.

— dan bilefsky, New York Times, "A Train Called Anne Frank? German Railway Plan Prompts Outcry," 31 Oct. 2017
Frank died of typhus at age 15 in 1945 at a concentration camp in Germany.

— dan corey, NBC News, "Halloween Retailer Pulls Anne Frank Costume After Backlash," 17 Oct. 2017
Frank died of typhus in 1945 at age 15 at a concentration camp in Germany.

— kristine phillips, Washington Post, "‘We don’t exploit her’: Anne Frank Halloween costume triggers outrage," 17 Oct. 2017
At the least, the air would have been less toxic, and there might have been lower mortality rates from scurvy, dysentery and typhus.

— a. roger ekirch, WSJ, "Hell Afloat in Wallabout Bay," 22 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'typhus.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of typhus

New Latin, from Greek typhos fever; akin to Greek typhein to smoke — more at deaf

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1785

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

TYPHUS Defined for English Language Learners

typhus

noun

Definition of typhus for English Language Learners

medical : a serious disease that is carried by small insects that live on the bodies of people and animals and that causes high fever, headache, and a dark red rash

TYPHUS Defined for Kids

typhus

noun ty·phus \ ˈtī-fəs \

Definition of typhus for Students

: a disease spread especially by body lice and in which there is high fever, delirium, severe headache, and a dark red rash

Medical Dictionary

typhus

noun ty·phus \ ˈtī-fəs \

medical Definition of typhus

: any of various bacterial diseases caused by rickettsial bacteria: as

b : murine typhus

c : scrub typhus

Learn More about typhus

Spanish Central: Translation of typhus Nglish: Translation of typhus for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of typhus for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about typhus

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typhus

Definition of typhus

Recent Examples of typhus from the Web

Origin and Etymology of typhus

TYPHUS Defined for English Language Learners

typhus

Definition of typhus for English Language Learners

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typhus

Definition of typhus for Students

Medical Dictionary

typhus

medical Definition of typhus

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