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

The World Health organization and CDC reported only a few days ago that measles cases rose last year to 10.3 million people worldwide, a 20% increase over 2022, largely due to shrinking vaccine coverage.

From Los Angeles Times

One year later, a measles outbreak infected 57,000 Samoans and killed 83 of them, including children.

From Salon

He's closely linked to a measles outbreak that led to the deaths of more than 80 people in Samoa, most of them children, with his fearmongering about vaccines:

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

In a measles outbreak in Ohio in 2022, the majority of 85 children infected were not vaccinated.

From Salon