fowl cholera: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
lowtechnical, historical, agricultural
Quick answer
What does “fowl cholera” mean?
A serious, highly contagious bacterial disease primarily affecting domestic birds like chickens and turkeys.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A serious, highly contagious bacterial disease primarily affecting domestic birds like chickens and turkeys.
The term can be used historically or metaphorically to describe any rapid, devastating outbreak in a bird population, though modern veterinary science distinguishes between specific bacterial strains (Pasteurella multocida).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical or orthographic differences. Usage is identical in both varieties within veterinary/agricultural contexts.
Connotations
Evokes historical agricultural devastation and modern biosecurity concerns equally in both regions.
Frequency
Equally low frequency in general language but standard within poultry farming and veterinary medicine in both the UK and US.
Grammar
How to Use “fowl cholera” in a Sentence
An outbreak of fowl choleraThe farm was quarantined due to fowl choleraVaccinate against fowl choleraVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “fowl cholera” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The flock was devastated after it cholered.
- The farmer feared his birds would cholera.
American English
- The operation was ruined when the turkeys cholered.
- They worked to prevent the disease from cholering the coop.
adverb
British English
- The disease spread fowl-cholera-like through the pens.
- They reacted fowl-cholera-quick to the diagnosis.
American English
- The birds died off fowl-cholera-fast.
- The response was fowl-cholera-specific.
adjective
British English
- The fowl-cholera outbreak required immediate culling.
- He studied fowl-cholera transmission patterns.
American English
- The fowl-cholera vaccine was administered broadly.
- A fowl-cholera scare shut down the county fair.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in the context of agricultural insurance, livestock trading, and farm management reports.
Academic
Common in veterinary journals, agricultural history texts, and microbiology papers.
Everyday
Rare outside of conversations involving poultry keepers or historical discussions.
Technical
Precise term in veterinary diagnostics, epidemiology, and poultry science.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “fowl cholera”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “fowl cholera”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “fowl cholera”
- Using 'chicken cholera' interchangeably (less formal).
- Misspelling as 'foul cholera' (a homophone error).
- Assuming it is related to human cholera beyond the symptomatic analogy.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, fowl cholera is specific to birds. The bacterium Pasteurella multocida can cause infections in humans (e.g., from animal bites), but this is not referred to as 'fowl cholera'.
No, they are completely different diseases. Fowl cholera is caused by bacteria (Pasteurella multocida), while bird flu is caused by influenza viruses.
Treatment typically involves antibiotics, but due to rapid progression and contagion, prevention through vaccination, biosecurity, and culling of infected flocks is more critical.
Domestic poultry like chickens, turkeys, and ducks are highly susceptible. It can also affect wild birds, but outbreaks are most significant in dense commercial or backyard flocks.
A serious, highly contagious bacterial disease primarily affecting domestic birds like chickens and turkeys.
Fowl cholera is usually technical, historical, agricultural in register.
Fowl cholera: in British English it is pronounced /ˈfaʊl ˈkɒlərə/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈfaʊl ˈkɑːlərə/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None specific to this term.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a FOWL (chicken) with severe CHOLERA-like symptoms; it's a specific disease for birds.
Conceptual Metaphor
DISEASE IS AN INVADER / DISEASE IS A PLAGUE.
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary causative agent of fowl cholera?