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

How has an infection that requires close and prolonged physical contact, that spreads more slowly than measles, Covid or flu, caused such a rapid outbreak?

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

They dropped recommendations for Covid shots and a combined shot targeting both measles and chickenpox.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026

War, the reemergence of measles, anxieties about affordability and gun violence—all of this makes American parents all too aware of the limits of their ability to protect their kids.

From Slate • Mar. 12, 2026

Pan expressed deep concern about the state of public health, particularly the uptick in measles.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 9, 2026

The doctor took a look and said it wasn’t chicken pox and it wasn’t measles.

From "Maniac Magee" by Jerry Spinelli