tuberculosis

noun

tu·​ber·​cu·​lo·​sis tu̇-ˌbər-kyə-ˈlō-səs 

tyu̇-

plural tuberculoses tu̇-ˌbər-kyə-ˈlō-ˌsēz 

tyu̇-

: a highly variable communicable disease of humans and some other vertebrates that is caused by the tubercle bacillus and rarely in the U.S. by a related mycobacterium (Mycobacterium bovis), that affects especially the lungs but may spread to other areas (such as the kidney or spinal column), and that is characterized by fever, cough, difficulty in breathing, formation of tubercles, caseation, pleural effusions, and fibrosis

Examples of tuberculosis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Chinese national has a rare, aggressive, and drug-resistant form of tuberculosis, which carries high mortality rates, the lawsuit states. —Louis Casiano, Fox News, 24 Oct. 2024

Conditions like onychomycosis, pulmonary tuberculosis, and syphilis also impact nail strength and growth.9 Nail Biting and Nail Picking Onychophagia (nail biting) and onychotillomania (nail picking) are chronic nail conditions. —Sherri Gordon, Health, 18 Oct. 2024

Physicians feared that tuberculosis, anthrax and brucellosis would also be spread by dogs and rats who became pathogen carriers. —Debra Utacia Krol, The Arizona Republic, 22 Sep. 2024

May also offered insight into his documentary about the spread of bovine tuberculosis, Brian May: The Badgers, The Farmers and Me, in the video and its caption. —Raechal Shewfelt, EW.com, 4 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin

First Known Use

1839, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

tuberculosis

noun

tu·​ber·​cu·​lo·​sis t(y)u̇-ˌbər-kyə-ˈlō-səs 

: a disease of human beings and some other vertebrates caused by a bacterium and usually marked by wasting, fever, and formation of cheesy tubercles that in human beings occur mostly in the lungs

tuberculous

t(y)u̇-ˈbər-kyə-ləs

adjective

Medical Definition

tuberculosis

noun

tu·​ber·​cu·​lo·​sis t(y)u̇-ˌbər-kyə-ˈlō-səs 

plural tuberculoses -ˌsēz 

: a usually chronic highly variable disease that is caused by a bacterium of the genus Mycobacterium (M. tuberculosis) and rarely in the United States by a related mycobacterium (M. bovis), is usually communicated by inhalation of the airborne causative agent, affects especially the lungs but may spread to other areas (as the kidney or spinal column) from local lesions or by way of the lymph or blood vessels, and is characterized by fever, cough, difficulty in breathing, inflammatory infiltrations, formation of tubercles, caseation, pleural effusion, and fibrosis

called also TB