Asth"ma (?; 277), n. [Gr. ? short-drawn
breath, fr. ? to blow, for ?: cf. Skr. vā, Goth.
waian, to blow, E. wind.] (Med.) A disease,
characterized by difficulty of breathing (due to a spasmodic contraction of
the bronchi), recurring at intervals, accompanied with a wheezing sound, a
sense of constriction in the chest, a cough, and expectoration.