cholera

noun

chol·​era ˈkä-lə-rə 

: any of several diseases of humans and domestic animals usually marked by severe gastrointestinal symptoms

especially : an acute diarrheal disease caused by an enterotoxin produced by a comma-shaped gram-negative bacillus (Vibrio cholerae synonym V. comma) when it is present in large numbers in the proximal (see proximal sense 2) part of the human small intestine

Examples of cholera in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

On Thursday, France’s health minister Geneviève Darrieussecq announced that France was putting measures in place to fight cholera if an outbreak occurs, having already pre-positioned 10,000 doses of vaccines against it. —Catherine Nicholls, CNN, 19 Dec. 2024

In fact, in February — before the journey that stranded the eight — the Dawn was quarantined off the coast of Mauritius owing to a potential cholera outbreak. —Bridget Read, Curbed, 18 Dec. 2024

Stagnant water left in their wake can trigger outbreaks of waterborne diseases such as cholera, dengue fever, and malaria. —Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 16 Dec. 2024

Soon after the cholera outbreak, a link was established between eating oysters and typhoid. —Harriet Marsden, theweek, 24 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin

First Known Use

1601, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing cholera

• Asiatic cholera
• cholera morbus
• hog cholera

Kids Definition

cholera

noun

chol·​era ˈkäl-ə-rə 

: any of several diseases usually marked by severe vomiting and diarrhea

Medical Definition

cholera

noun

chol·​era ˈkäl-ə-rə 

: any of several diseases of humans and domestic animals usually marked by severe gastrointestinal symptoms: as

a

: an acute diarrheal disease caused by an enterotoxin produced by various strains of a comma-shaped gram-negative bacterium of the genus Vibrio (V. cholerae synonym V. comma) when it is present in large numbers in the proximal part of the human small intestine see asiatic cholera

b

: fowl cholera

c

: hog cholera

choleraic

ˌkäl-ə-ˈrā-ik 

adjective