mumps

American  

[muhmps] / mʌmps /

noun

(used with a singular verb)

1. an infectious disease characterized by inflammatory swelling of the parotid and usually other salivary glands, and sometimes by inflammation of the testes or ovaries, caused by a paramyxovirus.

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mumps British  

/ mʌmps /

noun

1. Also called: epidemic parotitis.  (functioning as singular or plural) an acute contagious viral disease of the parotid salivary glands, characterized by swelling of the affected parts, fever, and pain beneath the ear: usually affects children

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mumps Scientific  

/ mŭmps /

1. An infectious disease caused by a virus of the family Paramyxoviridae and the genus Rubulavirus, characterized by swelling of the salivary glands, especially the parotid glands, and sometimes of the pancreas, testes, or ovaries. Vaccinations, usually given in early childhood, confer immunity to mumps.

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mumps Cultural  

1. An acute and contagious disease marked by fever and inflammation of the salivary glands. Caused by a virus, mumps is normally a childhood disease that passes with no aftereffects.

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Discover More

A child who has had mumps is immune from further infection by the mumps virus.

Other Word Forms

• mumpish
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of mumps

First recorded in 1590–1600; mump ¹ + -s ³

Explanation

Mumps is a highly contagious, fast-spreading disease. When someone gets mumps, they have a fever and swollen neck glands. Mumps is one of many viral illnesses that can be prevented with immunizations. Before the vaccine was developed, mumps was a common childhood illness. It's spread through coughs and sneezes, and while it's often mild, there are complications that can be serious, like brain infections and deafness. The name mumps comes from the now-obsolete mump, "a grimace," from a previous meaning, "to whine like a beggar." In the seventeenth century, mumps also meant "a fit of melancholy."

Example Sentences

The MMR vaccine offers protection against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox.

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026

As someone who attended the original “superfight” between Mayweather and Pacquiao more than 10 years ago, I regret to inform you: I await this sequel like a second bout with the mumps.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026

Health officials will continue to recommend the measles, mumps and rubella vaccines and those against polio, chickenpox and HPV.

From Salon • Jan. 11, 2026

Measles, mumps, and rubella vaccination rates have declined in 78% of surveyed U.S. counties since the COVID-19 pandemic.

From Barron's • Dec. 12, 2025

His concern focused on a series of illnesses that had struck his patients throughout the year—the mumps in January, jaw and mouth infections in February, scarlet fever in March, followed by influenza in July.

From "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" by Jim Murphy