Definition of stertorous in English:
stertorous
adjective ˈstəːt(ə)rəsˈstərdərəs
(of breathing) noisy and laboured.
the breathing was becoming less stertorous
Example sentencesExamples
- Stertorous breathing may occur after epileptic convulsions, but does not typically occur after psychogenic non-epileptic convulsions.
- A 28 month old girl was referred with a 16 month history of failure to thrive, snoring, stertorous breathing, and, latterly, life threatening respiratory obstruction.
- During one such conversation his last words were ‘there are just two other things…’ followed by unresponding, stertorous breathing.
Derivatives
adverb
Then it's the middle of the night, I'm in a hospital room, somebody is breathing stertorously in the next bed behind a curtain, my brain feels like a horsehair sofa and my mouth tastes like I've eaten one.
Example sentencesExamples
- Lucy was breathing somewhat stertorously, and her face was at its worst, for the open mouth showed the pale gums.
- He breathed stertorously, and in his throat were the queer little gasping noises of one overwrought.
- The old gentleman, who was comfortably and perhaps even stertorously asleep in the corner, is now in the centre engaged in conversation with the young lieutenant.
- When he returned at half-past eleven o'clock, he found his rooms full of a strong odour of laudanum; his wife was breathing stertorously and lying unconscious on the bed.
Origin
Early 19th century: from modern Latin stertor 'snoring sound' (from Latin stertere 'to snore') + -ous.
Definition of stertorous in US English:
stertorous
adjectiveˈstərdərəsˈstərdərəs
(of breathing) noisy and labored.
the breathing was becoming less stertorous
Example sentencesExamples
- During one such conversation his last words were ‘there are just two other things…’ followed by unresponding, stertorous breathing.
- A 28 month old girl was referred with a 16 month history of failure to thrive, snoring, stertorous breathing, and, latterly, life threatening respiratory obstruction.
- Stertorous breathing may occur after epileptic convulsions, but does not typically occur after psychogenic non-epileptic convulsions.
Origin
Early 19th century: from modern Latin stertor ‘snoring sound’ (from Latin stertere ‘to snore’) + -ous.