gonorrhea

noun

gon·​or·​rhea ˌgä-nə-ˈrē-ə How to pronounce gonorrhea (audio)
: a contagious inflammation of the genital mucous membrane caused by the gonococcus

called also clap

gonorrheal adjective

Examples of gonorrhea in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web For newborn bacterial infections acquired at birth, such as chlamydia and gonorrhea, oral or IV antibiotics may be needed. ​wendy Wisner, Parents, 30 July 2024 The goal is to decrease the risk of bacterial STIs: chlamydia, syphilis, and gonorrhea. Oni Blackstock and Whitney C. Irie, STAT, 22 July 2024 But while doxycycline is proven effective at preventing gonorrhea, it isn’t generally used to treat that infection. Benjamin Ryan, NBC News, 18 July 2024 There was a 29 percent increase in syphilis diagnoses, nearly 17 percent increase for gonorrhea, and about a 14 percent increase for HIV and AIDS. Lauren Sforza, The Hill, 8 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for gonorrhea 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gonorrhea.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Late Latin, morbid loss of semen, from Greek gonorrhoia, from gon- + -rrhoia -rrhea

First Known Use

circa 1526, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gonorrhea was circa 1526

Dictionary Entries Near gonorrhea

Cite this Entry

“Gonorrhea.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gonorrhea. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.

Kids Definition

gonorrhea

noun
gon·​or·​rhea ˌgän-ə-ˈrē-ə How to pronounce gonorrhea (audio)
: a contagious inflammatory venereal disease of the genital and urinary organs that is caused by the gonococcus

called also clap

gonorrheal adjective

Medical Definition

gonorrhea

noun
gon·​or·​rhea
variants or chiefly British gonorrhoea
: a contagious inflammation of the genital mucous membrane caused by the gonococcus

called also clap

gonorrheal adjective
or chiefly British gonorrhoeal

More from Merriam-Webster on gonorrhea

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!