mumps

[muhmps]

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.

mumps

/ 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

mumps

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.

mumps

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.

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

Other Word Forms

• mumpish adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of mumps¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of mumps¹

C16: from _mump ¹ (to grimace)

Example Sentences

The funniest moment in Jonathan Spector’s comedy “Eureka Day” is the live chat that goes berserk during an elementary school town hall convened to discuss vaccination policy after a mumps outbreak.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The advisers also removed the government’s recommendation of a combined vaccine for measles, mumps, rubella and varicella, or chickenpox, for children under the age of 4, instead recommending the varicella shot be given separately.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Instead, the CDC now recommends two separate shots, one just against chickenpox, and the other that protects against measles, mumps and rubella.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Declining uptake in the MMR jab, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella, has recently sparked concern among medics.

Read more on BBC

But on Friday they decided to endorse two separate jabs - a combined one for measles, mumps and rubella, and another for varicella.

Read more on BBC