American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth
Edition - n. An acute infectious disease caused by the bacillus
Corynebacterium diphtheriae, characterized by the production of
a systemic toxin and the formation of a false membrane on the
lining of the mucous membrane of the throat and other
respiratory passages, causing difficulty in breathing, high
fever, and weakness. The toxin is particularly harmful to the
tissues of the heart and central nervous system. Century
Dictionary and Cyclopedia - n. An infectious disease,
characterized by the formation over the affected and inflamed
parts of a firm whitish or grayish pellicle, or false membrane
(which is removed with difficulty and leaves a raw surface), and
by general prostration. It is not infrequently followed by more
or less extended paralysis. The air-passages of the head are the
most frequent seat of the diphtheritic membrane, although it may
appear on other mucous surfaces and in wounds. The disease is
very frequently fatal, and its ravages