cholera

noun

chol·​era ˈkä-lə-rə How to pronounce cholera (audio)
: any of several diseases of humans and domestic animals usually marked by severe gastrointestinal symptoms
especially : an acute diarrheal disease caused by an enterotoxin produced by a comma-shaped gram-negative bacillus (Vibrio cholerae synonym V. comma) when it is present in large numbers in the proximal (see proximal sense 2) part of the human small intestine

Examples of cholera in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
These human caravans walked for hours in up to 104-degree heat in an attempt to reach medical treatment, because their local clinics had either closed completely or run out of ways to treat cholera. Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 24 June 2025 Sudan isn't the only country dealing with cholera; outbreaks have become increasingly common across Africa. Maryanne Murray Buechner, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025 Scientists were only starting to piece together that contaminated water, not flawed character, caused cholera; that smallpox probably originated in rodents; and that yellow fever was the vector work of the lowly mosquito, not the result of immigration or rotting vegetables. Paige Williams, New Yorker, 2 June 2025 The main treatment for cholera, which causes profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting, is oral rehydration. Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 11 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cholera

Word History

Etymology

Latin

First Known Use

1601, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cholera was in 1601

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cholera.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cholera. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

cholera

noun
chol·​era ˈkäl-ə-rə How to pronounce cholera (audio)
: any of several diseases usually marked by severe vomiting and diarrhea

Medical Definition

cholera

noun
chol·​era ˈkäl-ə-rə How to pronounce cholera (audio)
: any of several diseases of humans and domestic animals usually marked by severe gastrointestinal symptoms: as
a
: an acute diarrheal disease caused by an enterotoxin produced by various strains of a comma-shaped gram-negative bacterium of the genus Vibrio (V. cholerae synonym V. comma) when it is present in large numbers in the proximal part of the human small intestine see asiatic cholera
choleraic adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on cholera

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!