diphtheria
noun/dɪfˈθɪriə/
Frequency rank: #17,858 most common English word
Meaning
A serious bacterial infection causing a thick membrane to form in the throat, making breathing difficult.

Example sentence
The child was vaccinated against diphtheria before starting school.
Practice this word in the quiz
More words in ranks 17,801–17,900
- deductiverelating to reasoning that moves from general principles to specific conclusions.
- defileto make something dirty, impure, or no longer sacred
- depleteto use up or reduce a resource significantly.
- devalueTo reduce the official value or importance of something.
- dinglea small wooded valley or hollow.
- disturbinglyin a way that causes worry, unease, or alarm
- doerA person who actively does things rather than just thinking or talking about them.
- doorknobA rounded handle attached to a door, used to open or close it.
- doormata person who allows others to treat them badly without complaining or standing up for themselves.
- downsizeto reduce in size, especially by laying off employees or cutting resources.