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

Could a patient sue a doctor who counsels against the measles vaccine in the midst of an outbreak?

From Slate • Mar. 31, 2026

The Pitt covers everything from a measles outbreak, a shooting at a festival, the opioid crisis, medical abortion, black maternal care, homelessness and more besides.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

There are allusions to the tragedies that befell him: the loss of a young daughter to measles encephalitis and his son’s near-fatal accident.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

A single case of measles requires public health workers to track down 200 potential contacts, Ferrer said.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 9, 2026

It was supposed to contain Mrs. Margaret O’Hana, but she’d gotten sick with the measles and hadn’t been able to make it to the performance that night.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin