whooping cough

noun

whoop·​ing cough ˈhü-piŋ- 

ˈhu̇-

: an infectious respiratory disease especially of children caused by a bacterium (Bordetella pertussis) and marked by a convulsive spasmodic cough sometimes followed by a crowing intake of breath

called also pertussis

Examples of whooping cough in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Cassidy’s initial questions covered measles, flu, and whooping cough, which is having an outbreak in his state of Louisiana. —Elizabeth Cooney, STAT, 25 Feb. 2026

There were more than 4,000 cases of whooping cough in the state last year, the newspaper reported. —Saul Pink, San Antonio Express-News, 21 Feb. 2026

The rate of Texas kindergartners up-to-date on their DTaP vaccines, which protect against diphtheria and tetanus as well as whooping cough, dropped from almost 97% to 93% between 2019 and 2024, according to state data. —Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Feb. 2026

After whooping cough vaccinations declined in Dallas County over the last year, the preventable disease spiked to the highest numbers of infections officials have seen in over a decade, Huang said. —Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 19 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1665, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for whooping cough

• cerenkov
• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff

Kids Definition

whooping cough

noun

: a disease especially of children that is caused by a bacterium and is marked by severe attacks of coughing often followed by a high-pitched gasping intake of breath

called also pertussis

Medical Definition

whooping cough

noun

: an infectious disease especially of children caused by a bacterium of the genus Bordetella (B. pertussis) and marked by a convulsive spasmodic cough sometimes followed by a crowing intake of breath

called also pertussis