dysentery

Etymology

From Middle English dissenterie, from Old French dissenterie, from Latin dysenteria, from Ancient Greek δυσεντερία (dusentería), from δυσ- (dus-, “bad”) + ἔντερα (éntera, “bowels”).

noun

  1. (pathology) A disease characterised by inflammation of the intestines, especially the colon (large intestine), accompanied by pus (white blood cells) in the feces, fever, pain in the abdomen, high-volume diarrhea, and possible blood in the feces.
    We ate, we drank, and we were merry / and we got typhoid and dysentery. 1959, “In Old Mexico”, Tom Lehrer (music)
  2. Diarrhea.

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