whooping cough

noun

whoop·​ing cough ˈhü-piŋ- 

ˈhu̇-

: an infectious respiratory disease especially of children caused by a bacterium (Bordetella pertussis) and marked by a convulsive spasmodic cough sometimes followed by a crowing intake of breath

called also pertussis

Examples of whooping cough in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The committee spurred the CDC’s recommendation for a Tdap booster during the third trimester of pregnancy, which has guarded newborn babies against whooping cough. —Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2025

Relatively high levels of whooping cough, which can be deadly for infants, are also of concern to public health experts. —Katherine Hignett, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024

Whooping Cough Vaccine: Where to Get it Anyone can get whooping cough, even if they've been vaccinated, though officials at the CDC say vaccination is the best prevention measure against whooping cough. —Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 26 Dec. 2024

The last infant to die from whooping cough in L.A. County was in 2014. —Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1665, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for whooping cough

• cerenkov
• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff

Kids Definition

whooping cough

noun

: a disease especially of children that is caused by a bacterium and is marked by severe attacks of coughing often followed by a high-pitched gasping intake of breath

called also pertussis

Medical Definition

whooping cough

noun

: an infectious disease especially of children caused by a bacterium of the genus Bordetella (B. pertussis) and marked by a convulsive spasmodic cough sometimes followed by a crowing intake of breath

called also pertussis