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
Generally, more than 200 Californians die from tuberculosis every year, state officials say.
—
Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2024
The business supported her family and husband, who suffered from tuberculosis.
—Noah Alcala Bach, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Mar. 2024
That month, the family buried her brain, collected by the institution after her death from tuberculosis in 1933, in her grave in Seattle.
—Claire Healy, Washington Post, 23 Feb. 2024
Caused by bacteria mycobacterium tuberculosis, tuberculosis disease is spread through the air.
—Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2024
Have vaginal bleeding between periods. Take a prescription drug for seizures, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS or pulmonary hypertension.
—Kristen Jordan Shamus, Detroit Free Press, 19 Mar. 2024
And so having more GeneXpert tests is essential to having good tuberculosis care.
—Katherine MacPhail, STAT, 16 Mar. 2024
About 85 percent of active tuberculosis cases, Percak noted, started out as latent infections where the bacteria that causes the disease lingers in the lungs, held in check by the immune system, causing no symptoms.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2024
While suffering from tuberculosis, Franz Kafka famously asked for his works to be burned, but his executor betrayed the request.
—EW.com, 6 Mar. 2024
Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2024
The business supported her family and husband, who suffered from tuberculosis.
—Noah Alcala Bach, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Mar. 2024
That month, the family buried her brain, collected by the institution after her death from tuberculosis in 1933, in her grave in Seattle.
—Claire Healy, Washington Post, 23 Feb. 2024
Caused by bacteria mycobacterium tuberculosis, tuberculosis disease is spread through the air.
—Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2024
Have vaginal bleeding between periods. Take a prescription drug for seizures, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS or pulmonary hypertension.
—Kristen Jordan Shamus, Detroit Free Press, 19 Mar. 2024
And so having more GeneXpert tests is essential to having good tuberculosis care.
—Katherine MacPhail, STAT, 16 Mar. 2024
About 85 percent of active tuberculosis cases, Percak noted, started out as latent infections where the bacteria that causes the disease lingers in the lungs, held in check by the immune system, causing no symptoms.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2024
While suffering from tuberculosis, Franz Kafka famously asked for his works to be burned, but his executor betrayed the request.
—EW.com, 6 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tuberculosis.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Tuberculosis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tuberculosis. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
adjective
t(y)u̇-ˈbər-kyə-ləs
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
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