1. an infectious, usually fatal disease of warm-blooded animals, especially of cattle and sheep, caused by the bacterium bacillus anthracis. the disease can be transmitted to humans through contact with contaminated animal substances, such as hair, feces, or hides, and is characterized by ulcerative skin lesions.
2. A lesion caused by anthrax.

1. an acute infectious bacterial disease of herbivores, especially sheep and cattle. it can occur in humans through contact with infected animals, tissue from infected animals, or high concentrations of anthrax spores, but is not usually spread between humans. symptoms include lesions on the skin or in the lungs, and it is often fatal.

1.
2. A carbuncle.
3. A malignant pustule.
4. A microscopic, bacterial organism (bacillus anthracis), resembling transparent rods. [see Illust. under bacillus.]
5. an infectious disease of cattle and sheep. it is ascribed to the presence of a rod-shaped gram-positive bacterium (bacillus anthracis), the spores of which constitute the contagious matter. it may be transmitted to man by inoculation. the spleen becomes greatly enlarged and filled with bacteria. called also splenic fever.

1. in pathology, a carbuncle of any sort. see phrases below.
2. [capitalized] [nl.] A genus of dipterous insects, giving name to a family Anthracidæ (which see): now placed in Bombyliidæ.
3. Lithanthrax, or pit- or stone-coal.

1. a disease of humans that is not communicable; caused by infection with bacillus anthracis followed by septicemia
2. a highly infectious animal disease (especially cattle and sheep); it can be transmitted to people