Hansen's disease
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of Hansen's disease
1935–40; named after G. H. Hansen (1841–1912), Norwegian physician and discoverer of leprosy-causing Mycobacterium leprae
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
People who seek treatment at the outpatient clinic, one of 16 federally supported Hansen’s disease clinics in the U.S., are often overwhelmed by dread, uncertainty and shame, Balquin said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 23, 2025
More than 8,000 people, mostly Native Hawaiians, perished at Kalaupapa, including Damien, who eventually contracted leprosy, later called Hansen’s disease.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 1, 2023
Fortunately, Hansen’s disease can be treated today with readily available antibiotics, which make victims no longer contagious within days.
From Slate • Aug. 15, 2023
The magazine grew from a two-page mimeographed hospital newsletter to a well-respected Hansen's disease news venue read by people in over 130 countries around the world.
From Salon • Aug. 9, 2023
Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease, is caused by slow-growing bacteria called Mycobacterium leprae.
From New York Times • Aug. 2, 2023
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
