mumps

American  

[muhmps] / mʌmps /

noun

(used with a singular verb)

1. an infectious disease characterized by inflammatory swelling of the parotid and usually other salivary glands, and sometimes by inflammation of the testes or ovaries, caused by a paramyxovirus.

---

mumps British  

/ mʌmps /

noun

1. Also called: epidemic parotitis.  (functioning as singular or plural) an acute contagious viral disease of the parotid salivary glands, characterized by swelling of the affected parts, fever, and pain beneath the ear: usually affects children

---

mumps Scientific  

/ mŭmps /

1. An infectious disease caused by a virus of the family Paramyxoviridae and the genus Rubulavirus, characterized by swelling of the salivary glands, especially the parotid glands, and sometimes of the pancreas, testes, or ovaries. Vaccinations, usually given in early childhood, confer immunity to mumps.

---

mumps Cultural  

1. An acute and contagious disease marked by fever and inflammation of the salivary glands. Caused by a virus, mumps is normally a childhood disease that passes with no aftereffects.

---

Discover More

A child who has had mumps is immune from further infection by the mumps virus.

Other Word Forms

• mumpish adjective

Etymology

Origin of mumps

First recorded in 1590–1600; mump ¹ + -s ³

Example Sentences

Mama said something about scarlet fever, Daddy said something else about mumps or chicken pox, Mama was calling the doctor, Daddy was wrapping me up in a blanket and putting me in the truck.

From Literature

They never got mumps or pinkeye or colds or stomachaches or anything.

From Literature

Health officials will continue to recommend the measles, mumps and rubella vaccines and those against polio, chickenpox and HPV.

From Salon

The vaccine will be combined with the existing MMR jab, given at 12 and 18 months of age, which already helps protect against measles, mumps and rubella.

From BBC

Smith was a sickly child, contracting bronchial pneumonia, tuberculosis, German measles, mumps and chicken pox which kept her in "periods of lengthy bed rest".

From BBC