coryza

noun

co·​ry·​za kə-ˈrī-zə How to pronounce coryza (audio)
: an acute inflammatory contagious disease involving the upper respiratory tract
especially : common cold
coryzal
kə-ˈrī-zəl How to pronounce coryza (audio)
adjective

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin, from Greek koryza nasal mucus; akin to Old English hrot nasal mucus, Sanskrit kardama mud

First Known Use

1634, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of coryza was in 1634

Browse Nearby Words

corytuberine
coryza
cos
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Coryza.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coryza. Accessed 31 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Medical Definition

coryza

noun
co·​ry·​za kə-ˈrī-zə How to pronounce coryza (audio)
: an acute inflammatory contagious disease involving the upper respiratory tract:
a
: common cold
b
: any of several diseases of domestic animals characterized by inflammation of and discharge from the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract, sinuses, and eyes
especially : infectious coryza
coryzal
-zəl How to pronounce coryza (audio)
adjective
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of comely

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Jul. 31

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All