measles

[ mee-zuhlz ]

noun

1. (used with a singular or plural verb) Pathology.
   1. an acute infectious disease occurring mostly in children, characterized by catarrhal and febrile symptoms and an eruption of small red spots; rubeola.
   2. any of certain other eruptive diseases. Compare German measles.
2. Veterinary Pathology. a disease in swine and other animals caused by the larvae of certain tapeworms of the genus Taenia.
3. (used with a plural verb) the larvae that cause measles in swine and other animals, and that upon maturation produce trichinosis in humans.

measles

/ ˈmiːzəlz /

noun

1. a highly contagious viral disease common in children, characterized by fever, profuse nasal discharge of mucus, conjunctivitis, and a rash of small red spots spreading from the forehead down to the limbs Technical namesmorbillirubeola See also German measles
2. a disease of cattle, sheep, and pigs, caused by infestation with tapeworm larvae

measles

/ mē′zəlz /

1. An infectious disease caused by the rubeola virus of the genus Morbillivirus , characterized by fever, cough, and a rash that begins on the face and spreads to other parts of the body. Vaccinations, usually given in early childhood, confer immunity to measles.
2. Also called rubeola

measles

1. An acute and contagious disease caused by a virus and characterized by the outbreak of small red spots on the skin . Measles occurs most often in school-age children. ( Compare German measles .)

Word History and Origins

Origin of measles¹

1275–1325; Middle English mesels, variant of maseles (plural); cognate with Dutch maselen (plural), Middle Dutch masel; akin to German Masern measles, plural of Maser speck

Word History and Origins

Origin of measles¹

C14: from Middle Low German masele spot on the skin; influenced by Middle English mesel leper, from Latin misellus, diminutive of miser wretched

Example Sentences

A recent study estimated that a federal program to help pay for childhood immunizations against diseases such as measles, polio and rotavirus has prevented more than 1 million deaths and 32 million hospitalizations since its inception in 1994.

From Los Angeles Times

In 2019, on the island of Samoa, 83 people died from a measles outbreak; anti-vaccine activists, who were actively urged on by Kennedy, undeniably worsened the situation.

From Slate

In 2019, Kennedy visited the pacific island of Samoa with CHD to campaign against a measles vaccine.

From Salon

Vaccination rates dropped from 60-70% to 31% before measles swept through Samoa and killed 83 people, the majority of whom were children, Mother Jones reported.

From Salon

Kennedy has for years claimed on the basis of discredited evidence that vaccinations cause autism and was involved in an anti-vaccination campaign in American Samoa which resulted in the deaths of 83 individuals, “most of them young children,” from measles.

From Slate