chicken cholera: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Technical / Veterinary / Agricultural
Quick answer
What does “chicken cholera” mean?
A fatal bacterial disease affecting chickens and other poultry.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A fatal bacterial disease affecting chickens and other poultry.
The disease, also known as avian or fowl cholera, is caused by the bacterium Pasteurella multocida and causes sudden death, diarrhea, and respiratory distress in birds. It is not transmissible to humans.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in the term itself. Both use 'chicken cholera' or the more formal 'fowl cholera' or 'avian cholera'.
Connotations
Identical technical connotations. Associated with poultry farming, veterinary science, and historical agriculture.
Frequency
Very low frequency in general language. Exclusively used in specific professional or historical contexts in both varieties.
Grammar
How to Use “chicken cholera” in a Sentence
The [poultry farm] suffered from chicken cholera.Vaccination can prevent chicken cholera.The vet diagnosed chicken cholera.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “chicken cholera” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The flock was choleraed.
- The farm choleraed last winter.
American English
- The flock got choleraed.
- The operation choleraed badly.
adverb
British English
- Not applicable.
American English
- Not applicable.
adjective
British English
- The chicken-cholera outbreak was devastating.
- He is a chicken-cholera researcher.
American English
- The chicken cholera outbreak devastated the farm.
- She is a chicken cholera expert.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in the context of poultry farming, insurance, and agricultural supply industries regarding disease management.
Academic
Used in veterinary medicine, microbiology, agricultural history, and epidemiology papers.
Everyday
Virtually never used in everyday conversation except by poultry keepers.
Technical
The primary context. Refers to a specific notifiable disease with defined symptoms, causes, and treatments.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “chicken cholera”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “chicken cholera”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “chicken cholera”
- Confusing it with human cholera.
- Using it as a general term for any poultry sickness.
- Incorrectly assuming it is a viral disease.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Chicken cholera (avian cholera) is caused by Pasteurella multocida strains specific to birds and is not considered a zoonotic threat under normal circumstances.
No, it is a historical misnomer. Human cholera is caused by Vibrio cholerae, while avian cholera is caused by Pasteurella multocida. The diseases are unrelated.
Treatment involves antibiotics, but prevention through biosecurity, vaccination, and managing wild bird vectors is far more critical in poultry management.
You would encounter it in veterinary texts, historical accounts of agriculture, poultry farming manuals, and discussions of animal diseases. It is not part of general vocabulary.
A fatal bacterial disease affecting chickens and other poultry.
Chicken cholera is usually technical / veterinary / agricultural in register.
Chicken cholera: in British English it is pronounced /ˈtʃɪk.ɪn ˈkɒl.ər.ə/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈtʃɪk.ɪn ˈkɑː.lɚ.ə/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None. It is a technical term.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a sick CHICKEN with symptoms resembling CHOLERA (severe diarrhea), but remember it's a different bacterium.
Conceptual Metaphor
DISEASE IS AN INVADER / PLAGUE. The term borrows the name of a feared human disease to conceptualize a devastating avian illness.
Practice
Quiz
What is 'chicken cholera' primarily associated with?