Dysentery
/ˈdɪs.ənˌtɛr.i/noun
An intestinal infection marked by severe diarrhea with blood or mucus.
Did you know?The word entered English through Latin and French from Greek, where dys- was a prefix for “bad” or “difficult,” and enteron meant “intestine,” making the name itself a blunt diagnosis.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
dysenteria
“A painful intestinal disorder with severe bowel symptoms”
Classical Greek
Greek
dys- + enteron
““Bad” or “difficult” + “intestine””
Latin
Latin
dysenteria
“A bowel disease characterized by severe diarrhea”
Middle English
English
dysenterie
“A severe intestinal illness”
Modern English
English
dysentery
“A serious intestinal infection causing bloody diarrhea”