rabies

American  

[ray-beez] / ˈreɪ biz /

noun

Pathology.

1. an infectious disease of dogs, cats, and other animals, transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected animal and usually fatal if prophylactic treatment is not administered: caused by an RNA virus of the rhabdovirus group; hydrophobia.

---

rabies British  

/ ˈreɪbiːz /

noun

1. Also called: hydrophobia, lyssa. pathol an acute infectious viral disease of the nervous system transmitted by the saliva of infected animals, esp dogs. It is characterized by excessive salivation, aversion to water, convulsions, and paralysis

---

rabies Scientific  

/ rā′bēz /

1. A usually fatal infectious disease of warm-blooded animals caused by a virus of the genus Lyssavirus that causes inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. It is transmitted by the bite of an infected animal, such as a dog or bat and can be prevented in humans by a vaccine.

2. See Note at hydrophobia

---

rabies Cultural  

1. An acute disease, caused by a virus, which attacks the central nervous system and results in paralysis and death if not treated promptly. Rabies is transmitted to humans by the bite of an animal infected with the disease.

---

Other Word Forms

• antirabies
  adjective
• rabic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of rabies

First recorded in 1655–65; from Latin rabiēs “rage, madness,” from rab(ere) “to be mad, rave” + iēs, abstract noun suffix

Explanation

Rabies is a deadly disease that can be spread between mammals through saliva, usually when one animal is bitten by another. If you run into a raccoon foaming at the mouth, don't pet him; he may have rabies. Most dog and cat owners are familiar with rabies, because it's an illness they regularly have their pets vaccinated against. An unvaccinated pet that's bit by an animal with rabies almost always dies — and this is also true for humans who contract rabies and aren't treated. In Latin, rabies means "madness," and this accurately describes some of the symptoms of this terrible disease.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rabies

A few people at a worksite near the animal and a dog — that was up to date on its rabies vaccine — were potentially exposed to the disease.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

Post-exposure rabies vaccination usually involves two to four doses and is administered in the arm, just like a flu shot.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

But experts who study the pointy-eared winged creatures say that, although residents should practice caution, the odds of getting rabies from a bat remain very low.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

County tested positive for rabies, rising to as high as 33% in late summer, according to public health officials.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

It was as though, in the special neuropathology of rabies, the switch had been prevented from turning.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas