herpes

American  

[hur-peez] / ˈhɜr piz /

noun

Pathology.

1. any of several diseases caused by herpesvirus, characterized by eruption of blisters on the skin or mucous membranes.

2. herpesvirus.

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herpes British  

/ ˈhɜːpiːz /

noun

1. any of several inflammatory diseases of the skin, esp herpes simplex, characterized by the formation of small watery blisters See also genital herpes

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herpes Scientific  

/ hûr′pēz /

1. Any of several infections caused by the herpes simplex virus of the genus Simplexvirus or by the varicella-zoster virus, a herpes virus of the genus Varicellavirus. Herpes infections are characterized by painful blisters on the skin or a mucous membrane and are highly contagious. Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted disease. Varicella-zoster infection is also called shingles.

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herpes Cultural  

1. A group of related diseases and the viruses that cause them. These diseases are marked by the development of blisterlike sores on the skin or mucous membranes of the body. The herpes virus may invade the mouth region, producing fever blisters or cold sores, or may cause a sexually transmitted disease in which the painful sores appear on the genitals. Chicken pox is another disease caused by a herpes virus.

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Discover More

After an infection, the virus remains dormant and may return at a later time. Shingles, for example, is a recurrence of the chicken pox virus, and outbreaks of genital herpes recur over time.

Etymology

Origin of herpes

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from New Latin: “cutaneous eruption,” from Greek hérpēs, literally, “a creeping” (derivative of hérpein “to creep, spread”); cognate with Latin serpēns serpent

Compare meaning

How does herpes compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• chancroid vs. herpes
• herpangina vs. herpes

Example Sentences

The team examined a viral "fusion" protein that herpes viruses use to merge with and enter cells, a process responsible for many infections.

From Science Daily

Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is caused by the reactivation of the chickenpox virus, resulting in a painful rash.

From The Wall Street Journal

These shoot a virus such as herpes into tumors, causing them to self-destruct.

From The Wall Street Journal

The campaign, which aimed to destigmatise herpes via a faux tourism advertisement video, was awarded the Grand Prix for Good - a category that seeks to highlight work by non-profit organisations and charities.

From BBC

In fact, in 2015 the FDA approved the first and only cancer-killing virus, a herpes virus used for treatment of a kind of late-stage skin cancer, where there are few conventional options.

From Salon

Related Words

• AIDS
• acquired immune deficiency syndrome
• gonorrhea
• syphilis
• the clap
• venereal disease