asthma Meaning, Definition & Usage

noun respiratory disorder characterized by wheezing; usually of allergic origin
asthma attack; bronchial asthma.

Gr. short-drawn breath, fr. to blow, for : cf. Skr. va, Goth. waian, to blow, E. wind.

(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.