yaws

American  

[yawz] / yɔz /

noun

(used with a singular verb)

1. 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.

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yaws British  

/ jɔːz /

noun

1. Also called: framboesia.  (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

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yaws Scientific  

/ yôz /

1. 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.

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Etymology

Origin of yaws

From Carib, dating back to 1670–80; -s ³

Example Sentences

Each causes a different disease: syphilis, yaws, and bejel.

From Science Daily • Jan. 26, 2026

For example, we find examples of enslaved Africans who hailed from present-day Ghana describing inoculations for yaws, another contagious flesh disorder.

From Slate • Sep. 4, 2023

In addition to Guinea worm, these are poliomyelitis, mumps, rubella, lymphatic filariasis, cysticercosis, measles, and yaws.

From Scientific American • Feb. 14, 2022

The three-dose treatment course was also twice as effective at reducing latent yaws, a stealth form of the disease that can follow an active case and can cause skin ulcers to re-erupt at any time.

From Science Magazine • Jan. 5, 2022

Still other infections of small human populations are chronic diseases such as leprosy and yaws.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond