lupus

¹ American  

[loo-puhs] / ˈlu pəs /

noun

Pathology.

1. lupus vulgaris.

2. systemic lupus erythematosus.

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Lupus ² American  

[loo-puhs] / ˈlu pəs /

noun

Astronomy.

genitive

Lupi

1. the Wolf, a southern constellation between Centaurus and Norma.

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lupus ¹ British  

/ ˈluːpəs /

noun

1. any of various ulcerative skin diseases

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Lupus ² British  

/ ˈluːpəs /

noun

1. a constellation in the S hemisphere lying between Centaurus and Ara

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lupus Scientific  

/ lo̅o̅′pəs /

1. See systemic lupus erythematosus

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lupus Cultural  

1. An autoimmune disease that tends to strike women more frequently than men. The disease attacks the body's connective tissues.

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Usage

In current usage the word lupus alone is generally understood to signify lupus vulgaris, lupus erythematosus being normally referred to in full or by the abbreviation LE

Other Word Forms

• lupous adjective

Etymology

Origin of lupus¹

First recorded in 1580–90; from Medieval Latin, special use of Latin lupus “wolf”

Origin of Lupus²

From Latin

Example Sentences

In addition to MS, the virus has been linked to lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and long COVID.

From Science Daily • Feb. 6, 2026

Once told by doctors that a lupus diagnosis could limit her ability to do so, Braxton stood onstage, still moving freely and hitting every note.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 2, 2026

Fatigue, brain fog, headaches, and joint pain can be caused by anemia, sleep disorders, mental illnesses, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, lupus, ALS, fibromyalgia, cancer, and many other conditions.

From Slate • Dec. 19, 2025

CAR-T treatments have been a cancer breakthrough, and are beginning to make a dent in aut0-immune disorders like lupus and multiple sclerosis.

From Barron's • Dec. 9, 2025

Henry detected the weariness in those purple eyes, the pallor beneath that glaze of lupus, the sadness at the corners of the unsmiling crimson mouth.

From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley