German measles

American  

noun

Pathology.

1. rubella.

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German measles British  

noun

1. (functioning as singular) a nontechnical name for rubella

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German measles Scientific  

/ jûr′mən /

1. An infectious disease caused by the rubella virus of the genus Rubivirus, characterized by mild fever and skin rash. German measles can cause congenital defects if a woman is exposed during early pregnancy.

2. Also called rubella

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German measles Cultural  

1. An acute and contagious disease, caused by a virus, producing symptoms milder than those usually associated with measles.

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German measles can cause severe congenital defects in the developing embryo or fetus of a woman who contracts the disease in her first three months of pregnancy.

Etymology

Origin of German measles

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

German measles

Two more children swiftly followed: Lady Helen and Lord Nicholas Windsor - but, in 1975, Katharine caught German measles during her fourth pregnancy.

From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2025

Rubella, also known as German measles because German scientists classified it in the 19th century, is a moderate illness for most patients, identified by a spotty and often itchy red rash.

From New York Times ● May 21, 2024

And in 1970, an astronaut was yanked from Apollo 13 shortly before launch after being exposed to German measles.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 1, 2021

The first taste I had of the power of naming bad things came when in college I mentioned how I’d had German measles when I was young.

From Scientific American ● Aug. 11, 2021

The term includes scarlet fever, measles, German measles, smallpox, chicken-pox, and others.

From The New Gresham Encyclopedia Volume 4, Part 3: Estremoz to Felspar by Various