lepto

¹

[ lep-toh ]

noun

, Informal.

1. leptospirosis.

lepto-

²

1. a combining form meaning “thin,” “fine,” “slight,” used in the formation of compound words:

   leptophyllous.

lepto-

combining_form

1. fine, slender, or slight

   leptosome

Word History and Origins

Origin of lepto¹

By shortening

Origin of lepto²

< Greek lepto-, combining form of leptós thin, slight, fine, literally, stripped, equivalent to lép ( ein ) to strip + -tos adj. suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of lepto¹

from Greek leptos thin, literally: peeled, from lepein to peel

Example Sentences

“If you have a private backyard, if your pet is in the parks, if your pet likes to sniff around garbage, drink from standing puddles, get a lepto vaccine,” she said.

From New York Times

“Then a concerned dog owner came up to me and told me that a few puppies have passed away from lepto recently, so we all got out of there.”

From New York Times

In the eight weeks since the storm hit, clean water has been so scarce that the 3.4 million Americans in Puerto Rico have been forced to drink from streams and rivers – all of which can be a breeding ground for lepto.

From MSNBC

Today, Dr. Deseda tells us the CDC identified 14 cases of lepto in patients who are alive and fighting the disease, plus two cases where the patient died.

From MSNBC

These two new deaths of lepto did not change the overall death toll; they had already been counted, but now we have an official ruling on the diagnosis.

From MSNBC