Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Asthma \Asth"ma\ (?; 277), n. [Gr. ? short-drawn breath, fr. ?
   to blow, for ?: cf. Skr. v[=a], 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.

Source : WordNet®

asthma
     n : respiratory disorder characterized by wheezing; usually of
         allergic origin [syn: {asthma attack}, {bronchial asthma}]