what meningitis means
â¢ MENINGITIS (noun). The noun MENINGITIS has 1 sense: 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.Familiarity information: MENINGITIS used as a noun is very rare.eaning: 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. Classified under: Nouns denoting stable states of affairs.