# bronchitis

Pronunciation: US say "brahng-KY-tis" /bɹɑŋˈkaɪtɪs/; UK say "brong-KY-tis" /bɹɒŋˈkaɪtɪs/

## Noun

1. Inflammation of the bronchi of the lungs, which causes the cilia of the bronchial cells to stop working.
   - Simple: A chest illness where the airways inside the lungs become swollen and sore.
   - _The patient was diagnosed with bronchitis after weeks of a persistent cough and chest congestion._
   - _Chronic bronchitis often develops in people who have smoked heavily for many years._
2. A specific occurrence, an affected patient, or a particular type of inflammation of the bronchi.
   - Simple: A case or particular kind of inflamed, swollen airways in the lungs.
   - _The pediatrician noted that this was the child's second bronchitis of the year._
   - _Acute and chronic bronchitis differ in their duration and underlying cause._

## Origin

This word comes from Late Latin "bronchus," which came from Ancient Greek "brónkhos" meaning "windpipe," combined with the suffix "-itis" (indicating inflammation).

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/bronchitis (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).