diphtheria
noun
diph·the·ria dif-ˈthir-ē-ə 
nonstandard
dip- : an acute febrile contagious disease typically marked by the formation of a false membrane especially in the throat and caused by a gram-positive bacterium (Corynebacterium diphtheriae) that produces a toxin causing inflammation of the heart and nervous system
diphtherial
dif-ˈthir-ē-əl
adjective nonstandard dip-
diphtheritic
ˌdif-thə-ˈri-tik
adjective nonstandard ˌdip-
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web These would include standard immunizations such as MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) and Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis). 
Dr. Michael Daignault, USA TODAY, 3 Aug. 2022 But la dolce vita was short lived: On the trip, two of their children died of diphtheria and Percy drowned in Tuscany. Adam H. Graham, WSJ, 17 May 2022 National coverage for the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis) and chickenpox vaccines during the 2020-2021 school year fell to about 94 percent, under the 95 percent target. Washington Post, 21 Apr. 2022 Neel’s daughter—her second, after a baby who died of diphtheria—grew up mostly in the care of those in-laws in Havana. Joanna Scutts, The New Republic, 20 June 2022 When Mother was eight years old, her mother died of diphtheria, and her tyrannical Grandmother Hall refused to sanction more than occasional visits from her father. James Roosevelt, Good Housekeeping, 5 May 2022 According to an official interview with Putin first published in 2000, his brother died of diphtheria after being evacuated to a shelter set up for children. Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2022 Putin's older brother Viktor died of diphtheria during the siege of Leningrad before Putin was born. Conor Finnegan, ABC News, 7 Mar. 2022 In 16 states, rates for kids entering kindergarten were at least 95 percent for measles shots and for the combination diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough shot. NBC News, 21 Apr. 2022 See More
Dr. Michael Daignault, USA TODAY, 3 Aug. 2022 But la dolce vita was short lived: On the trip, two of their children died of diphtheria and Percy drowned in Tuscany. Adam H. Graham, WSJ, 17 May 2022 National coverage for the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis) and chickenpox vaccines during the 2020-2021 school year fell to about 94 percent, under the 95 percent target. Washington Post, 21 Apr. 2022 Neel’s daughter—her second, after a baby who died of diphtheria—grew up mostly in the care of those in-laws in Havana. Joanna Scutts, The New Republic, 20 June 2022 When Mother was eight years old, her mother died of diphtheria, and her tyrannical Grandmother Hall refused to sanction more than occasional visits from her father. James Roosevelt, Good Housekeeping, 5 May 2022 According to an official interview with Putin first published in 2000, his brother died of diphtheria after being evacuated to a shelter set up for children. Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2022 Putin's older brother Viktor died of diphtheria during the siege of Leningrad before Putin was born. Conor Finnegan, ABC News, 7 Mar. 2022 In 16 states, rates for kids entering kindergarten were at least 95 percent for measles shots and for the combination diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough shot. NBC News, 21 Apr. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
New Latin, from French diphthérie, from Greek diphthera leather; from the toughness of the false membrane
First Known Use
circa 1851, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
diphtheria
noun
diph·the·ria dif-ˈthir-ē-ə
dip-
: a contagious disease that often makes breathing and swallowing difficult
Medical Definition
diphtheria
noun
diph·the·ria dif-ˈthir-ē-ə dip-
dip- : an acute febrile contagious disease typically marked by the formation of a false membrane especially in the throat and caused by a bacterium of the genus Corynebacterium (C. diphtheriae) which produces a toxin causing inflammation of the heart and nervous system