asthma Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun respiratory disorder characterized by wheezing; usually of allergic origin
    asthma attack; bronchial asthma.

WordNet


Asth"ma noun
Etymology
Gr. short-drawn breath, fr. to blow, for : cf. Skr. va, Goth. waian, to blow, E. wind.
Definitions
  1. (Med.) A disease, characterized by difficulty of breathing (due to a spasmodic contraction of the bronchi), recurring at intervals, accompanied with a wheezing sound, a sense of constriction in the chest, a cough, and expectoration.

Webster 1913