tuberculosis

noun tu·ber·cu·lo·sis \tu̇-ˌbər-kyə-ˈlō-səs, tyu̇-\

medical : a serious disease that mainly affects the lungs

plural tu·ber·cu·lo·ses\-ˌsēz\

Full Definition of TUBERCULOSIS

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

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Origin of TUBERCULOSIS

New Latin

First Known Use: 1842

Rhymes with TUBERCULOSIS

apotheosis, autohypnosis, cystic fibrosis, pediculosis, psychoneurosis, reverse osmosis

TUBERCULOSES Defined for Kids

tuberculosis

noun tu·ber·cu·lo·sis \tu̇-ˌbər-kyə-ˈlō-səs, tyu̇-\

Definition of TUBERCULOSIS for Kids

: a serious disease that mostly affects the lungs and in which there is fever, cough, and difficulty in breathing

Medical Dictionary

tuberculosis

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

plural tu·ber·cu·lo·ses \-ˌsēz\

Medical Definition of TUBERCULOSIS

: 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