noun
dysentery
DIHS-uhn-tuh-ree
Dysentery (noun) means a serious intestinal infection causing severe diarrhoea, often with blood, along with fever and abdominal pain. Example: “Poor sanitation in the camp led to an outbreak of dysentery.”
noun
1
A serious intestinal infection causing severe diarrhoea, often with blood, along with fever and abdominal pain.
"Poor sanitation in the camp led to an outbreak of dysentery."
How to use dysentery
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA nasty gut infection that causes bloody diarrhoea and fever, usually from contaminated food or water.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
outbreak of dysentery
contract dysentery
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like dysentery.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Plural
- dysenteries
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Poor sanitation in the camp led to an outbreak of _____.
Etymology
From Ancient Greek dusentería, combining dus- ("bad") and éntera ("bowels").
Rhymes for dysentery
See all rhymes for dysentery →Frequently asked questions
What does “dysentery” mean?
The word “dysentery” means a serious intestinal infection causing severe diarrhoea, often with blood, along with fever and abdominal pain. In plain terms, a nasty gut infection that causes bloody diarrhoea and fever, usually from contaminated food or water.
How do you pronounce “dysentery”?
“Dysentery” is pronounced DIHS-uhn-tuh-ree (/ˈdɪs.ənˌtɛɹ.i/ in IPA).
How do you use “dysentery” in a sentence?
Here is “dysentery” used in a sentence: “Poor sanitation in the camp led to an outbreak of dysentery.”
What part of speech is “dysentery”?
“Dysentery” is a noun.
Where does the word “dysentery” come from?
The word “dysentery” comes from Ancient Greek. From Ancient Greek dusentería, combining dus- ("bad") and éntera ("bowels").
