Word
asthma
Phoneticsasth·ma
US/ˈæzmə/
UK/ˈæsmɐ/
Definition
n. a medical condition that makes it hard to breathe. It often causes a tight feeling in your chest and makes you cough or wheeze.
n. a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways, characterised by reversible airflow obstruction and bronchospasm. Often associated with allergic reactions or other forms of hypersensitivity.
Examples
“He uses an inhaler to manage his asthma.”
“The cold winter air often triggers her asthma, making it difficult for her to exercise outdoors without a scarf.”
“While childhood asthma sometimes resolves during adolescence, many patients require lifelong management to prevent acute exacerbations triggered by environmental pollutants or physical exertion.”
Examples
simple
“He uses an inhaler to manage his asthma.”
contextual
“The cold winter air often triggers her asthma, making it difficult for her to exercise outdoors without a scarf.”
complex
“While childhood asthma sometimes resolves during adolescence, many patients require lifelong management to prevent acute exacerbations triggered by environmental pollutants or physical exertion.”
Usage
Usually uncountable; when used in the plural ('asthmas'), it refers to different clinical types or classifications of the condition.
Etymology
From Middle English asma, asme, from Medieval Latin asthma, asma, from Ancient Greek ἆσθμα (âsthma, “laborious breathing, asthma”). The spelling was changed to add -th- in the 16th century to match the Greek etymological roots.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/asthma