anthrax
Anthrax (noun) means a serious infectious disease, caused by a bacterium, that mainly affects livestock like cattle and sheep but can also infect humans. Example: “Farmers vaccinate their herds to prevent outbreaks of anthrax.”
How to use anthrax
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA dangerous bacterial disease that mostly affects farm animals but can infect people too.
Word forms
anthraxes plural
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Farmers vaccinate their herds to prevent outbreaks of _____.
Etymology
From Greek anthrax, "coal" or "boil" — a reference to the dark, coal-like skin sores the disease can cause.
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Frequently asked questions
What does “anthrax” mean?
The word “anthrax” means a serious infectious disease, caused by a bacterium, that mainly affects livestock like cattle and sheep but can also infect humans. In plain terms, a dangerous bacterial disease that mostly affects farm animals but can infect people too.
How do you pronounce “anthrax”?
“Anthrax” is pronounced AN-thraks (/ˈæn.θɹæks/ in IPA).
How do you use “anthrax” in a sentence?
Here is “anthrax” used in a sentence: “Farmers vaccinate their herds to prevent outbreaks of anthrax.”
What is another word for “anthrax”?
Words with a similar meaning to “anthrax” include charbon, Cumberland disease, malignant edema, Siberian plague, splenic fever and ragsorter's disease.
What part of speech is “anthrax”?
“Anthrax” is a noun.
Where does the word “anthrax” come from?
The word “anthrax” comes from Greek. From Greek anthrax, "coal" or "boil" — a reference to the dark, coal-like skin sores the disease can cause.
Is “anthrax” a common word?
“Anthrax” is an uncommon word in modern English.
Featured in
Vocabulary lists that include anthrax: