dysentery
n. uncountablen. a serious illness that causes very bad stomach pain and frequent, watery trips to the bathroom. It is usually caused by drinking dirty water or eating food that is not clean.
n. an acute inflammation of the intestines, typically resulting in severe diarrhoea and abdominal cramps. Often caused by bacterial or parasitic infection, it is common in areas with poor sanitation.
The travelers had to be careful to avoid dysentery.
After the heavy rains washed away the village's water filters, a severe outbreak of dysentery spread through the community.
Historical accounts of the expedition detail how dysentery and other waterborne diseases decimated the ranks of the soldiers before they even reached the capital.
From Middle English dissenterie, from Old French dissenterie, from Latin dysenteria, from Ancient Greek δυσεντερία (dusentería), from δυσ- (dus-, “bad”) + ἔντερα (éntera, “bowels”).