noun
tonsillitis
ton-suh-LY-tis
Tonsillitis (noun) means Inflammation of the tonsils. Example: “He was off school for a week with tonsillitis.”
noun
1
medical Inflammation of the tonsils.
"He was off school for a week with tonsillitis."
"Tonsillitis often causes a sore throat and difficulty swallowing."
"The doctor prescribed antibiotics for her tonsillitis."
How to use tonsillitis
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA word for when the tonsils become inflamed and sore.
When to use it
Tonsillitis is a medical term, used in both clinical and everyday contexts to describe the condition.
Memory tip
The -itis ending is a useful pattern to recognise, as it appears in many other medical words for inflammation.
Trace the full origin ↓
Common pairings
have tonsillitis
a bout of tonsillitis
symptoms of tonsillitis
chronic tonsillitis
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He was off school for a week with _____.
Etymology
Tonsillitis is built from tonsil, the small gland at the back of the throat, with the suffix -itis added. That suffix is the standard medical ending used to show that a body part is inflamed.
Rhymes for tonsillitis
itis
gastritis
sinusitis
hepatitis
arthritis
dermatitis
laryngitis
bronchitis
meningitis
peritonitis
appendicitis
encephalitis
See all rhymes for tonsillitis →
Frequently asked questions
What is tonsillitis?
Tonsillitis is inflammation of the tonsils, the two small glands at the back of the throat.
What causes tonsillitis?
The grounding text does not specify a cause, only that the word refers to inflammation of the tonsils.
Where does the word tonsillitis come from?
It is formed from tonsil plus the suffix -itis, which is used in medical terms to mean inflammation.
What is the meaning of tonsillitis?
"tonsillitis" (noun) means inflammation of the tonsils.
