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

A psychiatrist, Dr Alexander Burns, asked the family about foreign travel when he was considering the possibility of Lyme disease, and said staff had not been told about the Morocco incident before then.

From BBC

A year after his arrest, Timberlake said in late July 2025 that he powered through a “relentlessly debilitating” bout of Lyme disease while on his world tour, which kicked off in April 2024.

From Los Angeles Times

Psychiatrist Dr Alexander Burns asked the family about foreign travel, suspecting Lyme disease, and was told about the dog scratch – something other staff had not been aware of, he said.

From BBC

“Eight years ago, after my divorce and years of battling chronic neurological Lyme disease, I needed to get away from the noise of city life,” she explained.

From MarketWatch

Caden Zrubek, 25, made the change after struggling with Lyme disease and exposure to toxic mold, and remains concerned about the potential impact of polyester on health and fertility.

From The Wall Street Journal