scarlet fever

noun

, Pathology.

1. a contagious febrile disease caused by streptococci and characterized by a scarlet eruption.

scarlet fever

noun

1. an acute communicable disease characterized by fever, strawberry-coloured tongue, and a typical rash starting on the neck and chest and spreading to the abdomen and limbs, caused by all group A haemolytic Streptococcus bacteria Technical namescarlatina

scarlet fever

/ skär′lĭt /

1. A severe acute infectious disease caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pyogenes, occurring mainly in children, and marked by high fever, sore throat and a red skin rash.

scarlet fever

1. An acute and contagious disease caused by a kind of streptococcus . Characterized by fever, sore throat, and a bright red rash, scarlet fever can be treated with penicillin .

Word History and Origins

Origin of scarlet fever¹

First recorded in 1670–80

Example Sentences

What shattered his faith once and for all was watching his beloved little girl Annie suffer and die from scarlet fever and perhaps tuberculosis.

From Nautilus

His optimism led him to compare ending poverty to eradicating scarlet fever and diphtheria.

From The Daily Beast

Scarlet fever is frequently accompanied by eosinophilia, which may help to distinguish it from measles.

From Project Gutenberg

Hardly had the boys mother left St. Petersburg, when an epidemic of scarlet fever broke out in the school.

From Project Gutenberg

Scarlatina or scarlet fever first appeared in North America in Massachusetts in 1735.

From Project Gutenberg

In severe cases of smallpox and scarlet fever the entire outer skin of the hand may peel off like a glove.

From Project Gutenberg

Insist upon keeping a scarlet fever or measles patient out of school until all scaling has ceased.

From Project Gutenberg