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

Examples of whooping cough in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The firm also sold 252,600 doses of ineffective DPT vaccines to inoculate children against diphtheria, whooping cough and tetanus. — Fox News, "China says vaccine maker Changsheng broke manufacturing rules, faked records: Xinhua," 27 July 2018 Is the Border Protection Authority prepared for an outbreak of meningitis, measles, whooping cough, etc.? — Courant Community, "Community News For The Valley Edition," 19 June 2018 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.

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Time Traveler for whooping cough

The first known use of whooping cough was circa 1670

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More Definitions for whooping cough

whooping cough

noun

English Language Learners Definition of whooping cough

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

See the full definition for whooping cough in the English Language Learners Dictionary

whooping cough

noun

Kids Definition of whooping cough

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

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