Word
anthrax
Phoneticsan·thrax
US/ˈænθɹæks/
UK/ˈænθɹæks/
Definition
n. a serious and dangerous disease that can spread from animals to humans. It is caused by bacteria and is often mentioned in news about farming or safety.
n. an acute infectious disease caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis, primarily affecting livestock but transmissible to humans through contact or inhalation.
Examples
“The farmer vaccinated his cattle against anthrax.”
“Health officials monitored the area closely after a wild deer tested positive for anthrax during the summer heatwave.”
“While naturally occurring in soil, the spores of anthrax became a significant concern for global security due to their potential for weaponization and high stability in various environments.”
Examples
simple
“The farmer vaccinated his cattle against anthrax.”
contextual
“Health officials monitored the area closely after a wild deer tested positive for anthrax during the summer heatwave.”
complex
“While naturally occurring in soil, the spores of anthrax became a significant concern for global security due to their potential for weaponization and high stability in various environments.”
Usage
Uncountable when referring to the disease itself; can be countable when referring to specific strains or cases in a medical context.
Real-World Examples
“The infectious diseases anthrax and botulism come from spore-forming bacteria, too.” “At least 12 people are being treated for anthrax after eating infected meat from wildlife carcasses.” Etymology
From Ancient Greek ἄνθραξ (ánthrax, “abscess, boil”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/anthrax