tuberculosis

[too-bur-kyuh-loh-sis, tyoo-] /tʊˌbɜr kyəˈloʊ sɪs, tyʊ-/
noun, Pathology
1.
an infectious disease that may affect almost any tissue of the body, especially the lungs, caused by the organism Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and characterized by tubercles.
2.
this disease when affecting the lungs; pulmonary phthisis; consumption.
3.
any disease caused by a mycobacterium.
Also called TB (for defs 1, 2).
Origin of tuberculosis
1855-60; < New Latin tūberculōsis; see tubercle, -osis
Related forms
antituberculosis, adjective
Examples from the web for tuberculosis
  • Radiologists have already identified signs of tuberculosis or a fungal lung infection.
  • The decline in the nation's tuberculosis rate is slowing.
  • Leprosy brings lingering misery, and tuberculosis can last for years.
  • Researchers may have glimpsed a means by which the tuberculosis bacterium could adapt itself to different human populations.
  • Decades of tuberculosis control efforts could be reversed by rising drug resistance.
  • First, the elevated site with sea views and breezes was the kind of environment where tuberculosis sufferers were best treated.
  • In the old days, artists' lives were fraught with poverty, anonymity and tuberculosis.
  • One of the difficulties of diagnosing tuberculosis is that there is no simple blood or urine test.
  • She was thrown into prison, where she was beaten every three days and later contracted tuberculosis.
  • Abide diligently tested samples to make sure they did not indicate tuberculosis.
British Dictionary definitions for tuberculosis

tuberculosis

/tjʊˌbɜːkjʊˈləʊsɪs/
noun
1.
a communicable disease caused by infection with the tubercle bacillus, most frequently affecting the lungs (pulmonary tuberculosis) Also called consumption, phthisis, TB
Word Origin
C19: from New Latin; see tubercle, -osis
Word Origin and History for tuberculosis
n.

1860, from Modern Latin, from Latin tuberculum "small swelling, pimple," diminutive of tuber "lump" (see tuber) + -osis, a suffix of Greek origin. So called in reference to the tubercules which form in the lungs. Originally in reference to any disease characterized by tubercules; since the discovery of the tubercule bacillus by Koch (1882) restricted to disease caused by this.

tuberculosis in Medicine

tuberculosis tu·ber·cu·lo·sis (tu-bûr'kyə-lō'sĭs, tyu-)
n.
Abbr. TB, T.B.

  1. An infectious disease of humans and animals caused by the tubercle bacillus and characterized by the formation of tubercles on the lungs and other tissues of the body, often developing long after the initial infection.

  2. Tuberculosis of the lungs, characterized by the coughing up of mucus and sputum, fever, weight loss, and chest pain.

tuberculosis in Science
tuberculosis
  (t-bûr'kyə-lō'sĭs)   
An infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis that is transmitted through inhalation and is characterized by cough, fever, shortness of breath, weight loss, and the appearance of inflammatory substances and tubercles in the lungs. Tuberculosis is highly contagious and can spread to other parts of the body, especially in people with weakened immune systems. Although the incidence of the disease has declined since the introduction of antibiotic treatment in the 1950's, it is still a major public-health problem throughout the world, especially in Asia and Africa.
tuberculosis in Culture
tuberculosis [(tuh-bur-kyuh-loh-sis)]

An infectious disease caused by bacteria that mainly attack the lungs. The disease is characterized by the formation of patches, called tubercles, that appear in the lungs and, in later stages, the bones, joints, and other parts of the body. Tuberculosis is treated with combinations of antibiotics and is no longer considered a major health problem in industrialized countries. It was formerly called consumption.

Note: Years ago, tuberculosis (consumption) was a major killer; it often figures in literature and drama.
Note: In recent years, the incidence of tuberculosis has been on the increase in the United States, particularly in large cities, mainly because the strains of the bacterium have developed resistance to antibiotics.