yaws
an infectious, nonvenereal tropical disease, primarily of children, characterized by raspberrylike eruptions of the skin and caused by a spirochete, Treponema pertenue, that is closely related to the agent of syphilis.
Origin of yaws
1- Compare mother yaw.
Words Nearby yaws
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use yaws in a sentence
I noticed that from this moment Martin displayed a swiftly increasing interest in his own yaws.
The Cruise of the Snark | Jack LondonMartin, in despair, has taken to horse-doctoring his yaws with bluestone and to blessing the Solomons.
The Cruise of the Snark | Jack LondonAll white men in the Solomons catch yaws, and every cut or abrasion practically means another yaw.
The Cruise of the Snark | Jack LondonAt the present moment of writing I have five yaws on my hands and three more on my shin.
The Cruise of the Snark | Jack LondonMrs. London and Jack came down with fever, and their yaws grew worse.
Through the South Seas with Jack London | Martin Johnson
British Dictionary definitions for yaws
/ (jɔːz) /
(usually functioning as singular) an infectious nonvenereal disease of tropical climates with early symptoms resembling syphilis, characterized by red skin eruptions and, later, pain in the joints: it is caused by the spiral bacterium Treponema pertenue: Also called: framboesia
Origin of yaws
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for yaws
[ yôz ]
A highly contagious tropical disease that chiefly affects children, caused by the spirochete Treponema pertenue and characterized by raspberrylike sores, especially on the hands, feet, and face.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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