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cholera morbus

cholera morbus

9.9
A sudden severe stomach illness that causes vomiting and diarrhoea
  • noun
  • /ˈkɒlərə ˈmɔrbəs/
  • Archaic
translation icon : cólera morbus
  • The patient was admitted with classic symptoms of cholera morbus, including severe vomiting and abdominal cramps.

Examples

  • The doctor diagnosed her with cholera morbus after examining her symptoms.

  • In the 19th century, outbreaks of cholera morbus caused widespread fear in urban areas.

  • Before modern medicine, cholera morbus was often mistaken for other deadly diseases.

  • Many people suffered from cholera morbus during the outbreak last summer.

  • The patient was admitted with classic symptoms of cholera morbus, including severe vomiting and abdominal cramps.

  • In the 19th century, outbreaks of cholera morbus caused widespread fear in urban areas.

  • Many people suffered from cholera morbus during the outbreak last summer.

Synonyms

gastroenteritis
vscholera morbus
  • Specialized
5 5.8

An illness that makes the stomach and intestines sore and causes vomiting and diarrhea

is a more severe acute form with strong abdominal pain and unknown cause

Surface Forms

cholera morbus singular

Morphology

cholera + morbus

The phrase is directly compositional: 'cholera' names an infectious diarrheal illness and 'morbus' is a medical term for a disease, so together they indicate a disease characterized by cholera-like gastroenteritis. Although the form is Latin and somewhat technical/archaic, the overall meaning is predictable from the constituent parts for a learner who knows both words.

Etymology

Cholera morbus comes from old medical Latin and literally names a severe stomach disease: cholera suggested a 'flow' of fluids and morbus meant 'disease'. So the term was used for sudden vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach pain, and that's why it means a serious stomach illness today.