aphthous fever

[ af-thuhs, ap-thuhs ]

noun

1. foot-and-mouth disease.

Word History and Origins

Origin of aphthous fever¹

1755–60; < New Latin (febris) aphthosa , feminine singular adjective derived from Latin aphthae (written in Greek letters), from Greek áphthai , plural of áphtha “ulceration in the mouth, thrush” + -ous