pneumonia

[noo-mohn-yuh, -moh-nee-uh, nyoo-] /nʊˈmoʊn yə, -ˈmoʊ ni ə, nyʊ-/

noun, Pathology

inflammation of the lungs with congestion.

Also called lobar pneumonia. an acute disease of the lungs, caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae and characterized by fever, a cough with blood-tinged phlegm, and difficult breathing.

Origin

1595-1605; < New Latin < Greek pneumonía. See pneumon-, -ia

Examples from the web for pneumonia

He's had pneumonia for the last month and wasn't feeling up to it.
Just as a cough can be a symptom of pneumonia, snoring can be a symptom of obstructive sleep apnea.
My youngest had a double ear infection and pneumonia just two weeks ago.
The patient died 18 days later of pneumonia.
Accelerating the introduction of new pneumonia vaccines to the developing world might help, he says.
The infections were serious: half of the patients had bloodstream infections and one-fourth had pneumonia.
They struggle to keep up in sports and are prone to flu and pneumonia.
Another patient died two days after my visit, he had meningitis and pneumonia.
But asthma is not curable in the same way as, say, a bacterial pneumonia; it never entirely goes away.
The elderly man's labored breathing and fever seemed nothing more exotic than a bad case of pneumonia.

British Dictionary definitions for pneumonia

pneumonia

/njuːˈməʊnɪə/

noun

inflammation of one or both lungs, in which the air sacs (alveoli) become filled with liquid, which renders them useless for breathing. It is usually caused by bacterial (esp pneumococcal) or viral infection

Word Origin

C17: New Latin from Greek from pneumōn lung

Word Origin and History for pneumonia

c.1600, from Modern Latin, from Greek pneumonia "inflammation of the lungs," from pneumon "lung," altered (perhaps by influence of pnein "to breathe") from pleumon "lung," literally "floater," probably cognate with Latin pulmo (see pulmonary), from PIE *pleu- "to flow, to swim" (see pluvial). Alteration in Greek perhaps by influence of pnein "to breathe."

pneumonia in Medicine

pneumonia pneu·mo·nia (nu-mōn'yə, nyu-)
n.
An acute or chronic disease marked by inflammation of the lungs and caused by viruses, bacteria, or other microorganisms and sometimes by physical and chemical irritants.

pneumonia in Science

pneumonia

(n-mōn'yə)
An acute or chronic disease marked by inflammation of the lungs, especially an infectious disease caused by viruses, bacteria, or other pathogens, such as mycoplasmas. Individuals with pneumonia often have abnormal chest x-rays that show areas with fluid in the infected part of the lungs.

pneumonia in Culture

pneumonia [(nuh-mohn-yuh)]

A disease characterized by inflammation of the lungs. Pneumonia can be caused by many factors, including bacterial infections, viral infections, and the inhalation of chemical irritants.