chickenpox

American  

[chik-uhn-poks] / ˈtʃɪk ənˌpɒks /

Or chicken pox

noun

1. a disease, commonly of children, caused by the varicella zoster virus and characterized by mild headache and fever, malaise, and eruption of blisters on the skin and mucous membranes.

---

chickenpox British  

/ ˈtʃɪkɪnˌpɒks /

noun

1. a highly communicable viral disease most commonly affecting children, characterized by slight fever and the eruption of a rash

---

chickenpox Scientific  

/ chĭk′ən-pŏks′ /

1. A highly contagious infectious disease, usually of children, caused by the varicella-zoster virus of the genus Varicellavirus. The infection is characterized by fever, and itching skin blisters that start on the trunk of the body and spread to the extremities.

2. Also called varicella

---

Etymology

Origin of chickenpox

First recorded in 1720–30

Example Sentences

It develops when the virus responsible for chickenpox becomes active again in the body, often years after the original infection.

From Science Daily

They dropped recommendations for Covid shots and a combined shot targeting both measles and chickenpox.

From The Wall Street Journal

The MMR vaccine offers protection against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox.

From BBC

Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is a painful rash with blisters that develops when the virus that causes chickenpox, varicella zoster, becomes active again later in life.

From Science Daily

Young children in the UK are being offered protection against chickenpox on the NHS for the first time.

From BBC