inflammation of the bronchial tubes, characterized by coughing, difficulty in breathing, etc, caused by infection or irritation of the respiratory tract
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
bron•chi•tis /brɑŋˈkaɪtɪs/USA pronunciation
n. [uncountable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Pathologyan illness of the lining of the bronchial tubes, caused by infection or by breathing in irritating substances.
bron•chi•tis
(brong kī′tis),USA pronunciation n. [Pathol.]
bron•chit•ic
(brong kit′ik),USA pronunciation adj.
- Pathologyacute or chronic inflammation of the membrane lining of the bronchial tubes, caused by respiratory infection or exposure to bronchial irritants, as cigarette smoke.
- Neo-Latin; see bronch-, -itis
- 1812;
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'bronchitis' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):