fifth disease
[ fifthdi-zeez ]
noun
Pathology. a mild infection, most often seen in children or young adults, caused by a small virus (the human parvovirus B19 ) and marked by a blotchy rash on the cheeks, arms, and legs.
Origin of fifth disease
1So called because it was the fifth in a classification scheme of childhood eruptive diseases
- Also called er·y·the·ma in·fec·ti·o·sum [er-uh-thee-muhin-fek-shee-oh-suhm] /ˌɛr əˈθi mə ɪnˌfɛk ʃiˈoʊ səm/
Words Nearby fifth disease
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
British Dictionary definitions for fifth disease
fifth disease
noun
a mild infectious disease of childhood, caused by a virus, characterized by fever and a red rash spreading from the cheeks to the limbs and trunk: Also called: slapped-cheek disease Technical name: erythema infectiosum
Origin of fifth disease
1C20: from its being among the five most common childhood infections
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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