anthrax

noun an·thrax \ˈan-ˌthraks\

: a serious disease that affects animals (such as cattle and sheep) and sometimes people

Full Definition of ANTHRAX

: an infectious disease of warm-blooded animals (as cattle and sheep) caused by a spore-forming bacterium (Bacillus anthracis), transmissible to humans especially by the handling of infected products (as wool), and characterized by cutaneous ulcerating nodules or by often fatal lesions in the lungs; also : the bacterium causing anthrax

See anthrax defined for English-language learners

See anthrax defined for kids

Origin of ANTHRAX

Middle English antrax carbuncle, from Latin anthrax, from Greek, coal, carbuncle

First Known Use: 1861

Rhymes with ANTHRAX

addax, banjax, beeswax, borax, broadax, climax, coax, Colfax, death tax, earwax, flat tax, galax, hyrax, Lomax, lost wax, meat-ax, panchax, pickax, poleax, poll tax, relax, sales tax, sin tax, smilax, stamp tax, storax, styrax, surtax, syntax, thorax, toadflax

ANTHRAX Defined for Kids

anthrax

noun an·thrax \ˈan-ˌthraks\

Definition of ANTHRAX for Kids

: a serious bacterial disease of warm-blooded animals (as sheep) that can affect humans

Medical Dictionary

anthrax

noun an·thrax \ˈan-ˌthraks\

plural an·thra·ces \-thrə-ˌsēz\

Medical Definition of ANTHRAX

: an infectious disease of warm-blooded animals (as cattle and sheep) caused by a spore-forming bacterium (Bacillus anthracis), transmissible to humans especially by the handling of infected products (as hair), and characterized by external ulcerating nodules or by lesions in the lungs