typhus

noun

ty·phus | \ ˈtī-fəs

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

Examples of typhus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

And while Europeans may have only counted their African conscripts and calculated their value as tools, one image, a handwritten ledger, lists causes of death—typhus, blackwater fever, mauled by a lion—along with their names. — Heidi Waleson, WSJ, "‘The Head & the Load’ and ‘Greek’ Reviews," 10 Dec. 2018 Frank, whose wartime diary became one of the most famous pieces of Holocaust documentation, died in March 1945 during a typhus epidemic at the camp. — Neil Genzlinger, New York Times, "Gena Turgel, Holocaust Survivor With a Love Story, Dies at 95," 13 June 2018 Among other things, Vogt attacked DDT, a new pesticide that the United States had used in World War II to halt a typhus epidemic. — BostonGlobe.com, "Biographies highlight some key figures in environmentalism," 27 Apr. 2018 Among the names read Wednesday night was that of Margot Frank, the sister of Anne Frank, who died of typhus at Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. — Kathleen Mcwilliams, courant.com, "Never Forget: Farmington Valley Jewish Community Honors Victims Of Holocaust," 12 Apr. 2018 Sick with typhus, she was sent to Sweden to recover, and then went to Belgium to live with an aunt. — John Wilkens, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Gussie Zaks, 92, spent decades sharing Holocaust experiences with students and others," 18 Apr. 2018 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

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.

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3 Mar 2019

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The first known use of typhus was in 1785

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More Definitions for typhus

typhus

noun

English Language Learners Definition of typhus

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

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

typhus

noun

ty·phus | \ ˈtī-fəs