Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. A chronic respiratory disease, often arising from allergies, that is characterized by sudden recurring attacks of labored breathing, chest constriction, and coughing.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A paroxysmal disorder of respiration, characterized by labored breathing, sibilant rales, a feeling of constriction in the chest, and cough. The essential feature of the attacks is the contraction of the bronchial tubes through spasm of the muscles in their walls. The name is sometimes loosely applied to other dyspnœic conditions.
Wiktionary
- n. A long-term respiratory condition, in which the airways may unexpectedly and suddenly narrow, often in response to an allergen, cold air, exercise, or emotional stress. Symptoms include wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. A disease, characterized by difficulty of breathing (due to a spasmodic contraction of the bronchi), recurring at intervals, accompanied with a wheezing sound, a sense of constriction in the chest, a cough, and expectoration.
WordNet 3.0
- n. respiratory disorder characterized by wheezing; usually of allergic origin
Etymologies
- Middle English asma, from Medieval Latin, from Greek asthma.
Examples
“Indoor air pollution may have contributed to the increase in asthma rates since the 1980s, says Philip Landrigan, director of Mount Sinai's Children's Environmental Health Center.”
“In a randomized, double-blind controlled study of 297 patients at 30 sites, those treated with the Alair device had a 32% reduction in asthma attacks, an 84% reduction in emergency-room visits and a 66% reduction in school or work days lost due to asthma.”
“Unless you think that building an economy based on oil-spill clean-up and doctors treating asthma is the way of the future, then it's time to expose this one.”
The Huffington Post: Ryan Van Lenning: Why Californians Must Crush Prop 23
“I do know that asthma is the favorite fake ailment of all time.”
Alternative Energy and Rent-Seeking, Arnold Kling | EconLog | Library of Economics and Liberty
“When asthma is not well controlled, other triggers may also include physical exercise, laughing, crying or cold weather.”
“If you are feeling great on your medicines, it means your asthma is controlled and the medicines are working.”
“Theophylline does not have significant anti-inflammatory effects, so it became less popular as a preventive treatment when the role of inflammation in asthma was recognized.”
“If your asthma is in good control, you should be able to participate in any sport you like.”
“Keeping on top of your asthma is just one more thing.”
“I don't sign any regulations, but I do support the Clean Air Act. You know, dirty air actually is a factor in asthma in our children.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘asthma’.
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G[r]eek
A collection of words found in English that are either purely Greek or have Greek etymology.
Please add with caution and certainty. Will be regularly updated by me.etymology, philosophy, laconic, disharmony, patriarchic, archaic, phlogiston, aether, aeon, angel, arachnid, rhythm and 322 more...
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diseases that make lovely baby girl's names
usually i try to restrict this to sexually transmitted diseases, but some of the others are just so musical. Syphilis, it should be noted, would make a lovely boy's name, but that is outside the sc...
gonorrhea, chlamydia, roseola, rubella, angina, atrophy, candida, cholera, jaundice, palsy, leukemia, alopecia and 50 more...
maire asthma has often said, don't forget your puffer,dear. Nov 1, 2007