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.

---

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

---

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.

---

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.

---

Etymology

Origin of Lyme disease

After Lyme, Conn., where it was first described

Example Sentences

Marketers also claim thymosin-alpha, one of the more studied peptides, can help with immune function, Lyme disease and COVID-19.

From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026

They play a vital role in the ecosystem, eating rodents, such as ground squirrels, that often carry diseases such as hantavirus, plague and Lyme disease.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

Pfizer plans to submit the vaccine to U.S. regulators, aiming to provide a needed option against Lyme disease, which affects 476,000 Americans.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and French partner Valneva on Monday said they planned to seek regulatory approval for a Lyme disease vaccine after a late-stage trial.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 23, 2026

Although the first known human cases in the United States appeared only as recently as 1962, Lyme disease is already reaching epidemic proportions in many parts of our country.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond