Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A chronic respiratory disease, often arising from allergies, that is characterized by sudden recurring attacks of labored breathing, chest constriction, and coughing.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A paroxysmal disorder of respiration, characterized by labored breathing, sibilant rales, a feeling of constriction in the chest, and cough.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Med.) 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.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun pathology 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.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun respiratory disorder characterized by wheezing; usually of allergic origin

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English asma, from Medieval Latin, from Greek asthma.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Ancient Greek ἆσθμα (asthma, "laborous breathing").

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Examples

Comments

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  • asthma has often said, don't forget your puffer,dear.

    November 1, 2007