measles

American  

[mee-zuhlz] / ˈmi zəlz /

noun

1. (used with a singular or plural verb)

   1. an acute infectious disease occurring mostly in children, characterized by catarrhal and febrile symptoms and an eruption of small red spots; rubeola.

   2. any of certain other eruptive diseases.

2. Veterinary Pathology. a disease in swine and other animals caused by the larvae of certain tapeworms of the genus Taenia.

3. (used with a plural verb) the larvae that cause measles in swine and other animals, and that upon maturation produce trichinosis in humans.

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measles British  

/ ˈmiːzəlz /

noun

1. Technical names: morbilli.   rubeola.  a highly contagious viral disease common in children, characterized by fever, profuse nasal discharge of mucus, conjunctivitis, and a rash of small red spots spreading from the forehead down to the limbs See also German measles

2. a disease of cattle, sheep, and pigs, caused by infestation with tapeworm larvae

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measles Scientific  

/ mē′zəlz /

1. An infectious disease caused by the rubeola virus of the genus Morbillivirus, characterized by fever, cough, and a rash that begins on the face and spreads to other parts of the body. Vaccinations, usually given in early childhood, confer immunity to measles.

2. Also called rubeola

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measles Cultural  

1. An acute and contagious disease caused by a virus and characterized by the outbreak of small red spots on the skin. Measles occurs most often in school-age children. (Compare German measles.)

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Etymology

Origin of measles

1275–1325; Middle English mesels, variant of maseles (plural); cognate with Dutch maselen (plural), Middle Dutch masel; akin to German Masern measles, plural of Maser speck

Example Sentences

Three years later, the bill was amended to cover the new measles vaccine, which was first licensed for use in 1963.

From Salon

The vaccine will be combined with the existing MMR jab, given at 12 and 18 months of age, which already helps protect against measles, mumps and rubella.

From BBC

The charity has warned of the risk of the "spread of epidemic diseases such as cholera and measles, and a catastrophic increase of malaria cases" among vulnerable people.

From BBC

Health officials are warning of a spike in measles cases across parts of the United States as anti-vaccine rhetoric gains traction, fueled in part by high-profile figures like Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

From Salon

There have been 47 measles outbreaks in the U.S. this year, with 1,912 confirmed cases so far.

From MarketWatch