diphtheria Meaning, Definition & Usage

noun acute contagious infection caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae; marked by the formation of a false membrane in the throat and other air passages causing difficulty in breathing

NL., fr. Gr. leather (hence taken in the sense of membrane): cf. to make soft, L. depsere to knead.

(Med.) A very dangerous contagious disease in which the air passages, and especially the throat, become coated with a false membrane, produced by the solidification of an inflammatory exudation. Cf. Group.