whooping cough

noun whoop·ing cough \ ˈhü-piŋ- , ˈhu̇- \

Definition of whooping cough

: 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

See whooping cough defined for English-language learners

See whooping cough defined for kids

Recent Examples of whooping cough from the Web

Last month, in declaring the opioid crisis a disaster emergency, Gov. Wolf made NAS a condition that must be reported to the Department of Health, like whooping cough or measles.

— marie mccullough, Philly.com, "Babies addicted to opioids: A crisis crying for a count," 23 Feb. 2018
Among babies who developed whooping cough despite their mothers’ vaccination, 90 percent had mild cases and did not require hospitalization.

— marie mccullough, Philly.com, "Study: Whooping cough vaccination during pregnancy protects newborns," 28 Sep. 2017
Morita on Monday said more federal money is needed to detect and respond to outbreaks of illnesses such as influenza, mumps, measles, whooping cough, meningitis and the Zika virus.

— chicago tribune staff, chicagotribune.com, "Morning Spin: Emanuel budget hole now tops $259 million," 26 Sep. 2017
Before vaccines, millions of children died horrific deaths each year from infectious diseases like whooping cough, polio, and measles.

— National Geographic, "The Strange History of Vaccines—And Why People Fear Them," 26 Feb. 2017

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

First Known Use of whooping cough

circa 1670

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

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WHOOPING COUGH Defined for English Language Learners

whooping cough

noun

Definition of whooping cough for English Language Learners

medical : a disease that usually affects children and that causes severe coughing and difficult breathing

WHOOPING COUGH Defined for Kids

whooping cough

noun

Definition of whooping cough for Students

: a bacterial disease especially of children in which severe attacks of coughing are often followed by a high-pitched gasping intake of breath

Medical Dictionary

whooping cough

noun

medical Definition of whooping cough

: 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