# toxic shock syndrome

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. An acute infection caused by Staphylococcus bacteria, characterized by sudden high fever, muscle aches, joint pain, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, and fainting.

## Etymology
From toxic + shock + syndrome. First appears in medical literature c. 1978.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/toxic-shock-syndrome