Lyme disease

American  

[lahym] / laɪm /

noun

Pathology.

1. an acute inflammatory disease caused by a tick-borne spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi , characterized by recurrent episodes of decreasing severity in which joint swelling, fever, and rash occur, sometimes with cardiac or nervous system complications.

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Lyme disease British  

/ laɪm /

noun

1. a disease of domestic animals and humans, caused by the spirochaete Borrelia burghdorferi and transmitted by ticks, and variously affecting the joints, heart, and brain

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Lyme disease Scientific  

/ līm /

1. A disease caused by the bacterial spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi, transmitted by deer ticks and characterized initially by a bull's-eye-shaped rash followed by flu-like symptoms such as fever, joint pain, and headache. If untreated, it can result in chronic arthritis and neurologic or cardiac dysfunction. It is named after Lyme, Connecticut, where it was first reported.

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Lyme disease Cultural  

1. An infection caused by a bacterium transmitted by the bite of a tick. If untreated, the disease can lead to, among other things, a serious form of chronic arthritis. Lyme disease is most prevalent in the wooded regions of the Northeast and the Middle West.

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Etymology

Origin of Lyme disease

After Lyme, Conn., where it was first described

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Lyme disease

EU officials have agreed to study an experimental vaccine against Lyme disease, the world's most common tick-borne illness, its developers said Friday.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

To date, Lyme disease is still by far the most commonly diagnosed, accounting for more than 80 percent of tick-related diseases, with 476,000 patients in the U.S. receiving treatment annually.

From Slate ● Aug. 6, 2026

In 2005, Hall & Oates had to postpone a series of shows after Hall was diagnosed with Lyme disease.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026

Unlike Lyme disease, which is an infection, alpha-gal is an allergy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

No less arresting is Lyme disease, which comes from the bite of a tiny deer tick.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson