Definitions

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

  • noun Inflammation of the brain.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun In pathology, inflammation of the brain.

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

  • noun (Med.) Inflammation of the brain.

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

  • noun pathology An Inflammation of the brain.

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

  • noun inflammation of the brain usually caused by a virus; symptoms include headache and neck pain and drowsiness and nausea and fever (`phrenitis' is no longer in scientific use)

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From encephal- + -itis.

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Examples

  • For somebody who develops a severe, debilitating disease, such as encephalitis, which is a swelling and infection of the brain, that usually requires more supportive measures within a hospital.

    CNN Transcript Aug 18, 2001 2001

  • Although many adults remember chickenpox as a nuisance, sickening children for a week with a fever and itchy rash, the disease can lead to deadly complications, such as pneumonia, a brain inflammation called encephalitis and even infection with flesh-eating bacteria, Seward says.

    Vaccine has nearly eliminated chickenpox deaths in children 2011

  • Most of that would be vaccinia encephalitis, which is a inflammation of the brain.

    CNN Transcript Dec 15, 2002 2002

  • Three of them apparently had developed encephalitis, which is a swelling of the brain, the most serious complication of West Nile Virus, and the fourth apparently has mild illness.

    CNN Transcript Sep 1, 2002 2002

  • When, therefore, inflammation invades the brain and its enveloping membranes it is properly called encephalitis; when the membranes alone are affected it is called meningitis, or the brain substance alone cerebritis.

    Special Report on Diseases of the Horse Charles B. Michener 1877

  • But young children, people with weakened immune systems and women infected while pregnant can develop a brain inflammation called encephalitis, or suffer miscarriages, damage to the heart, liver, eyes or ears.

    PhysOrg.com - latest science and technology news stories 2010

  • The chances of a traveler coming down with an infection of the brain, called encephalitis, from this virus are rare because it is found principally in rural areas.

    unknown title 2009

  • Symptoms of shingles include fever, headache, chills and upset stomach, and can lead to other complications of pneumonia, hearing problems, blindness, brain inflammation known as encephalitis or death.

    unknown title 2009

  • In people with eczema or an impaired immune system, however, the vaccine virus can proliferate out of control, causing serious complications such as encephalitis or even death.

    Scared Of Smallpox 2007

  • Roads and highways have also been damaged in different parts of the country, and diseases, such as encephalitis, typhoid and dysentery, have been reported.

    Australia Helps Victims of Flooding in India 2002

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