typhoid fever

noun

: a communicable disease marked especially by fever, diarrhea, prostration, headache, and intestinal inflammation and caused by a bacterium (Salmonella typhi)

Examples of typhoid fever in a Sentence

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Pope was hospitalized for typhoid fever in 1985 This is believed to be the second hospitalization for Leo, who is known to be sporty and in good shape, with weekly tennis games and swimming. — Nicole Winfield, Chicago Tribune, 13 Oct. 2026 His other major period of hospitalization was for typhoid fever in Peru in 1985. — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026 Lincoln’s son Willie, who died of typhoid fever at just eleven years old, is one of those stuck in stasis. — Jane Bua, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2026 Around 4% of people infected with Salmonella Typhi – a particularly dangerous type of Salmonella that causes typhoid fever – become asymptomatic carriers who periodically shed the bacteria in their feces up to one year after initial infection. — Kimberly Baker, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for typhoid fever

Word History

First Known Use

1829, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of typhoid fever was in 1829

Rhymes for typhoid fever

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Browse Nearby Words

typhoid
typhoid fever
typhoid fly
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Cite this Entry

“Typhoid fever.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/typhoid%20fever. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

typhoid fever

noun
: a disease that is caused by a bacterium, is characterized especially by fever, diarrhea, weakness, headache, and an inflamed intestine, and is passed from one person to another in contaminated food or water

Medical Definition

typhoid fever

noun
: a communicable disease marked by fever, diarrhea, prostration, headache, splenomegaly, eruption of rose-colored spots, leukopenia, and intestinal inflammation and caused by a bacterium of the genus Salmonella (S. typhi)

More from Merriam-Webster on typhoid fever

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about typhoid fever

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