chicken pox

Cultural

A mild but highly contagious disease, caused by a virus and characterized by slight fever and the eruption of blisters on the skin. Chicken pox is classified as a disease of childhood, although it can occur in adults.

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Children who have had chicken pox are immune to future infection by the virus that causes it.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

When someone gets chicken pox, usually in childhood, the virus does not fully leave the body.

From Science Daily • Dec. 3, 2025

Nor was it ever used in vaccines against chicken pox, polio or pneumonia.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2025

So it keeps passing along like it's chicken pox.

From Salon • Aug. 6, 2024

Potential donors who have received other vaccines that contain small amounts of live viruses, such as those for chicken pox, polio and yellow fever, are also required to wait before donating blood.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 23, 2024

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 "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023