Whooping cough

Whooping cough — Whooping Whoop ing, a. & n. from {Whoop}, v. t. [1913 Webster] {Whooping cough} (Med.), a violent, convulsive cough, returning at longer or shorter intervals, and consisting of several expirations, followed by a sonorous inspiration, or whoop;… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

whooping cough — ► NOUN ▪ a contagious bacterial disease chiefly affecting children, characterized by convulsive coughs followed by a whoop …   English terms dictionary

whooping cough — [ho͞o′piŋ, hwo͞o′piŋ; hoop′iŋ] n. an acute infectious disease, usually affecting children, caused by a bacillus (Bordetella pertussis) and characterized by a mucous discharge from the nose and later by repeated attacks of coughing that end in a… …   English World dictionary

whooping cough — /hooh ping, hoop ing/, Pathol. an infectious disease of the respiratory mucous membrane, caused by Bordetella pertussis, characterized by a series of short, convulsive coughs followed by a deep inspiration accompanied by a whooping sound. Also… …   Universalium

whooping cough — n. to catch (the) whooping cough * * * [ huːpɪŋkɒf] to catch (the) whooping cough …   Combinatory dictionary

Whooping cough — Also known as pertussis, this is a feared infectious disease that can strike the respiratory system and affect other organs of the body. It has three stages—an initial stage with watery runny nose and eyes, a progressive cough stage with… …   Medical dictionary

whooping cough — an acute highly infectious disease usually caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis, primarily affecting infants and often occurring in epidemics. After an incubation period of 1–2 weeks there is a catarrhal stage, in which the infant has… …   The new mediacal dictionary

whooping cough — [[t]hu͟ːpɪŋ kɒf, AM kɔːf[/t]] N UNCOUNT Whooping cough is a serious infectious disease which causes people to cough and make a loud noise when they breathe in …   English dictionary

whooping cough — A serious bacterial infection of the lungs and breathing tubes that spreads easily. Whooping cough begins like a cold, but develops into severe coughing and gasping for air. Long spells of coughing may cause vomiting, and broken blood vessels in… …   English dictionary of cancer terms

whooping cough — whoop′ing cough [[t]ˈhu pɪŋ, ˈhʊp ɪŋ[/t]] n. pat an infectious disease of the respiratory mucous membrane caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis and characterized by a series of short, convulsive coughs followed by a whooping intake of… …   From formal English to slang

whooping cough — whoop|ing cough [ˈhu:pıŋ kɔf US ko:f] n [U] an infectious disease that especially affects children, and makes them cough and have difficulty breathing …   Dictionary of contemporary English