typhoid mary

English - English

Definition of typhoid mary in English English dictionary

A carrier of a dangerous disease who refuses to cooperate to minimize the risk of infection

nickname of Mary Mallon

an Irishwoman in the US who had the disease typhoid, and who was believed to have infected many people with it. The name is sometimes used to mean someone who is avoided because they are expected to cause a lot of trouble or problems (died 1938). byname of Mary Mallon born 1870? died Nov. 11, 1938, North Brother Island, N.Y., N.Y., U.S. U.S. carrier of typhoid. A 1904 typhoid epidemic on Long Island was traced to households where she had been a cook. She fled, but authorities finally caught up with her and isolated her on an island off the Bronx. In 1910 she was released after agreeing not to take a food-handling job, but she did, causing more typhoid outbreaks. She was returned to the island for the rest of her life. Three deaths and 51 original cases were directly attributed to her

{i} transmitter of anything undesirable; person who spreads a disease, insult for a person who is held responsible for spreading a disease; insulting term for a person who spreads something undesirable (such as bad news, pessimism, etc.)

Related Terms

Typhoid Marys

plural form of Typhoid Mary

Hyphenation

ty·phoid Ma·ry

Turkish pronunciation

tayfoyd meri

Pronunciation

/ˈtīfoid ˈmerē/ /ˈtaɪfɔɪd ˈmɛriː/

Etymology

() typhoid + Mary. Based on Mary Mallon, (1869 – 1938), a notorious carrier of typhoid who refused to cooperate with the authorities about her condition until they resorted to forcible confinement.