Wordnet 3.0
NOUN (1)
1.
infectious disease characterized by inflammation of the meninges (the tissues that surround the brain or spinal cord) usually caused by a bacterial infection;
symptoms include headache and stiff neck and fever and nausea;
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Meningitis \Men`in*gi"tis\, n. [NL. See Meninges, and
-itis.] (Med.)
Inflammation of the membranes of the brain or spinal cord.
[1913 Webster]
Cerebro-spinal meningitis. See under Cerebro-spinal.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
meningitis
n 1: infectious disease characterized by inflammation of the
meninges (the tissues that surround the brain or spinal
cord) usually caused by a bacterial infection; symptoms
include headache and stiff neck and fever and nausea