Definition, Meaning & Synonyms
whooping-cough
noun
/ˈhuː.pɪŋ kɔːf/
Definition
A highly contagious bacterial infection characterized by severe coughing fits that can make it hard to breathe.
Examples
- Many children are vaccinated against whooping cough to prevent outbreaks.
- She had whooping cough as a child and still remembers the coughing fits.
- During the spring, there was an increase in whooping cough cases in the city.
Meaning
Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, causes uncontrollable coughing that can result in a ‘whooping’ sound when the person breathes in after coughing.
Synonyms
- pertussis
- cough of 100 days
- sinus cough
