tussis

(tŭs'ĭs)
n., pl., -ses (-sēz).
A cough.

[Latin.]

tussal tus'sal or tus·sive adj.

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(tŭs'ĭs)
n., pl. -ses (-sēz).

A cough.

1. a sudden noisy expulsion of air from the lungs.
2. to produce such an expulsion of air.

• dry c. — cough without expectoration.
• goose honk c. — a chronic, harsh, dry cough characteristic of collapsed trachea.
• nocturnal c. — in dogs associated with heart disease, psychogenic coughing or collapsed trachea.
• productive c. — cough attended with expectoration of material from the bronchi.
• psychogenic c. — dogs sometimes associate coughing with the attention received and develop it as a habit.
• c. reflex — 1. the sequence of events initiated by the sensitivity of the lining of the passageways of the lung and mediated by the medulla as a consequence of impulses transmitted by the vagus nerve, resulting in coughing, i.e. the clearing of the passageways of foreign matter.
— 2. the response elicited by applying pressure on a trachea. Increased with inflammation of the respiratory epithelium; decreased by cough suppressants and pain.

For a list of words related to tussis, see:

• Signs and Symptoms - tussis: cough

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