leper

American  

[lep-er] / ˈlɛp ər /

noun

1. a person who has leprosy.

2. a person who has been rejected or ostracized for unacceptable behavior, opinions, character, or the like; anathema; outcast.

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leper British  

/ ˈlɛpə /

noun

1. a person who has leprosy

2. derogatory a person who is ignored or despised

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Usage

What does leper mean? Leper is a word for a person who has leprosy, an infectious skin disease. Leprosy causes bumps and wounds on and under the skin that gradually spread and can cause muscle weakness, nerve damage, and paralysis. If not treated effectively, it can result in the loss of body parts and eventually death. Leprosy is also called Hansen’s disease, which is the name preferred by many medical professionals. It’s caused by a kind of bacteria called Mycobacterium leprae. It can be cured with a treatment of antibiotics and other drugs. Cases of leprosy have been documented since ancient times. Due to its severe effects and contagiousness, many people who have had the disease throughout history have been stigmatized and treated as outcasts. Due to this stigma, the word leper came to be used in a more figurative way to mean an outcast or someone who is excluded, especially for behavior or opinions considered unacceptable, as in Ever since I expressed my opinion, I’ve been treated like a leper around here. However, both the figurative and literal senses of the word can be considered insensitive due to the fact that they can dehumanize those who have the disease. It is typically recommended to use a phrase like “a person with Hansen’s disease” instead of leper.

Etymology

Origin of leper

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English lepre “leprosy,” from Latin lepra, from Greek lépra, noun use of feminine of leprós “scaly,” akin to lépos “scale,” lépein “to peel”

Explanation

The word leper was historically used to refer to someone who suffered from leprosy, a bacterial illness that affects the nerves, skin, and respiratory tract. Because leprosy was thought to be highly contagious, the word leper also came to be used more generally to mean "an outcast" or "a person to be avoided." Although it was originally used a medical term — the Greek root is lepros, "scaly" — today the word leper is generally considered to be offensive. In the Middle Ages, when there was no known treatment for leprosy, people with the disease were often quarantined in areas known as "leper colonies." These days, leper is more commonly used in a general way to refer to someone who is shunned by others: "Her friends treated her like a leper because they mistakenly thought she had been spreading rumors about them."

Example Sentences

Modified chaulmoogra oil, based on the Ball Method, was distributed worldwide and helped free countless people from isolated leper colonies.

From New York Times • Apr. 8, 2023

Once he wrote an article about getting dating advice from a charming leper in order to explore “alienation, rejection and isolation” after Gutfeld had gone through the breakup of a long relationship.

From Washington Post • Jan. 9, 2022

A triumphant McKissick called Wood's supporters "a fringe, rogue group" and vowed to turn them into a "leper colony" by building parallel Republican organizations in their territory.

From Salon • Sep. 3, 2021

All these years later, Kuchel remains a leper to the O.C.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2021

“But I don’t want another home, Osh. I just want to know where I came from, and whether I might turn into a leper someday.”

From "Beyond the Bright Sea" by Lauren Wolk