malaria
[ muh-lair-ee-uh ]
/ məˈlɛər i ə /
noun
Pathology.
any of a group of diseases, usually intermittent or remittent, characterized by attacks of chills, fever, and sweating: formerly supposed to be due to swamp exhalations but now known to be caused by a parasitic protozoan, which is transferred to the human bloodstream by a mosquito of the genus Anopheles and which occupies and destroys red blood cells.
Archaic.
unwholesome or poisonous air.
Origin of malaria
1730–40; < Italian, contraction of
mala aria bad air
OTHER WORDS FROM malaria
Words nearby malaria
Example sentences from the Web for malaria
British Dictionary definitions for malaria
malaria
/ (məˈlɛərɪə) /
noun
an infectious disease characterized by recurring attacks of chills and fever, caused by the bite of an anopheles mosquito infected with any of four protozoans of the genus Plasmodium (P. vivax, P. falciparum, P. malariae, or P. ovale)
Derived forms of malaria
malarial, malarian or malarious, adjectiveWord Origin for malaria
C18: from Italian
mala aria bad air, from the belief that the disease was caused by the unwholesome air in swampy districts
Medical definitions for malaria
malaria
[ mə-lâr′ē-ə ]
n.
An infectious disease characterized by cycles of chills, fever, and sweating, caused by the parasitic infection of red blood cells by a protozoan of the genus Plasmodium, which is transmitted by the bite of an infected female anopheles mosquito.
jungle fever paludism swamp fever
Other words from malaria
ma•lar′i•al null null adj.Scientific definitions for malaria
malaria
[ mə-lâr′ē-ə ]
An infectious disease of tropical areas caused by the parasitic infection of red blood cells by a protozoan of the genus Plasmodium, which is transmitted by the bite of an infected female mosquito. Malaria is characterized by recurrent episodes of chills, fever, sweating, and anemia and is endemic in Africa, Central America, and much of Southern Asia and northern South America.
Cultural definitions for malaria
malaria
[ (muh-lair-ee-uh) ]
An infectious disease caused by a parasite that is transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito. Persons suffering from malaria experience periodic episodes of chills and fever.