pertussis

noun

per·​tus·​sis pər-ˈtə-səs How to pronounce pertussis (audio)

Examples of pertussis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Siri has contacted the FDA about pausing 13 other vaccines, the NYT reports, with his primary concern being the inclusion of aluminum in vaccines for diseases like hepatitis A, hepatitis B, diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus. Cara Lynn Shultz, People.com, 13 Dec. 2024 Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a cyclical disease, a spokesperson for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services previously told the Journal Sentinel — meaning several years may go by with few cases, and then in one year, cases will jump dramatically. Madeline Heim, Journal Sentinel, 13 Dec. 2024 Before the law passed, the threat of lawsuits had shrunk the number of companies making vaccines in the United States — from 26 in 1967 to 17 in 1980 — and the remaining pertussis vaccine producers were threatening to stop making it. Kff Health News, Twin Cities, 9 Dec. 2024 The pertussis toxin can trigger a reaction that produces a high white blood cell count, Yeganeh said — potentially causing sludging in the blood vessels leading to the lungs. Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pertussis 

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Latin per- thoroughly + tussis cough

First Known Use

circa 1772, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pertussis was circa 1772

Dictionary Entries Near pertussis

Cite this Entry

“Pertussis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pertussis. Accessed 24 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

pertussis

noun
per·​tus·​sis pər-ˈtəs-əs How to pronounce pertussis (audio)

Medical Definition

pertussis

noun
per·​tus·​sis pər-ˈtəs-əs How to pronounce pertussis (audio)

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