Definition

1. Noun:
   • A serious infectious disease: Meningitis is a medical condition characterized by inflammation of the meninges, the protective membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. This inflammation is most commonly caused by a bacterial or viral infection.
   • A condition with specific symptoms: The illness typically presents with symptoms such as severe headache, stiff neck, fever, and nausea.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The rapid onset of a headache and stiff neck can be signs of meningitis.
  • Vaccinations are available to protect against some forms of bacterial meningitis.
  • The patient was hospitalized with suspected meningitis.

Advanced Usage

• "Aseptic meningitis": A form of meningitis often caused by viruses, where no bacteria are found in the cerebrospinal fluid.

  • The child was diagnosed with aseptic meningitis, which has a better prognosis than the bacterial form.

• "Meningitis outbreak": Refers to the occurrence of a larger-than-expected number of meningitis cases in a community or region.

  • Health officials are working to contain the meningitis outbreak at the university.

Variants and Related Words

• Meningeal (adj): Pertaining to the meninges.

  • The scan showed signs of meningeal irritation.

• Meningococcus (n): A type of bacterium (Neisseria meningitidis) that can cause meningococcal meningitis.

  • The meningococcus bacterium is spread through respiratory droplets.

Synonyms

• Meningoencephalitis: Inflammation of both the meninges and the brain tissue (a related but more severe condition).
• Leptomeningitis: Inflammation specifically of the inner meningeal layers (the pia mater and arachnoid mater).

Related Phrases

• "Bacterial meningitis": The severe, often life-threatening form of the disease caused by bacteria.

  • Bacterial meningitis requires immediate treatment with antibiotics.

• "Viral meningitis": A generally less severe form of the disease caused by viruses, often resolving on its own.

  • He recovered fully from viral meningitis after a week of rest.

Noun

1. infectious disease characterized by inflammation of the meninges (the tissues that surround the brain or spinal cord) usually caused by a bacterial infection; symptoms include headache and stiff neck and fever and nausea