psittacosis Hear it!

psittacosis definition

psit·ta·co·sis (sit′ə kō′sis)

noun

an acute or chronic disease of birds, esp. birds of the parrot order, caused by a bacterium (Chlamydia psittaci): often transmitted to humans, in whom it is characterized by fever and pneumonia

Etymology: ModL < L psittacus < Gr psittakos, parrot + -osis

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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