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Webster 1913 Edition


Dysentery

Dys′en-ter-y

,
Noun.
[L.
dysenteria
, Gr. [GREEK];
δυσ-
ill, bad + [GREEK], pl. [GREEK], intestines, fr.
ἐντόσ
within, fr. [GREEK] in, akin to E.
in
: cf. F.
dysenterie
. See
Dys
, and
In
.]
(Med.)
A disease attended with inflammation and ulceration of the colon and rectum, and characterized by griping pains, constant desire to evacuate the bowels, and the discharge of mucus and blood.
☞ When acute, dysentery is usually accompanied with high fevers. It occurs epidemically, and is believed to be communicable through the medium of the alvine discharges.

Webster 1828 Edition


Dysentery

DYS'ENTERY

,
Noun.
[L. dysenteria; Gr. bad; intestines.]
A flux in which the stools consist chiefly of blood and mucus or other morbid matter, accompanied with griping of the bowels, and followed by tenesmus.

Definition 2024


dysentery

dysentery

English

Noun

dysentery (countable and uncountable, plural dysenteries)

  1. (pathology) A disease characterised by inflammation of the intestines, especially the colon (large intestine), accompanied by pus (white blood cells) in the feces, fever, pain in the abdomen, high volume of diarrhea, and possible blood in the feces.
    • 1959, Tom Lehrer (music), “In Old Mexico”:
      We ate, we drank, and we were merry / and we got typhoid and dystentery.

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