typhoid
Meaning
A serious infectious disease that causes fever, red spots on the chest and abdomen, and severe intestinal irritation, spread by contaminated food or water.
Structure
Usage
She was hospitalized after contracting typhoid from contaminated water.
Widespread vaccination helped to control the typhoid outbreak.
The classic symptoms of typhoid include a sustained high fever and abdominal pain.
Etymology
The word 'typhoid' originates from the Greek 'typhos', which described a cloud, smoke, or a state of stupor associated with high fever. The suffix '-oid', meaning 'resembling', was appended to create a medical term. Initially, the disease was thought to be a variant of typhus, hence 'typhoid' meaning 'typhus-like'. Over time, medical science distinguished typhoid fever (caused by Salmonella typhi) as a distinct enteric illness, but the name, reflecting its symptomatic resemblance to typhus, remained.
Analysis
'typh' is from Greek 'typhos', meaning smoke, vapor, or stupor. 'oid' is a suffix from Greek '-oeidēs', meaning resembling or having the form of.