roseola

American  

[roh-zee-uh-luh, roh-zee-oh-luh] / roʊˈzi ə lə, ˌroʊ ziˈoʊ lə /

noun

Pathology.

1. a kind of rose-colored rash.

2. rubella.

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roseola British  

/ rəʊˈziːələ /

noun

1. a feverish condition of young children that lasts for some five days during the last two of which the patient has a rose-coloured rash. It is caused by the human herpes virus

2. any red skin eruption or rash

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Other Word Forms

• roseolar adjective

Etymology

Origin of roseola

1810–20; < New Latin, equivalent to Latin rose ( us ) rose-colored + -ola -ole ¹

Compare meaning

How does roseola compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• scarlet fever vs. roseola
• roseola vs. rubella

Example Sentences

HHV-6B infects roughly 90 percent of children by age two and is best known for causing roseola infantum -- or "sixth disease" -- the most common cause of febrile seizures in young children.

From Science Daily • Jan. 7, 2026

The disease is characterized by respiratory symptoms, fever, conjunctivitis and a rash that can be mistaken for roseola, scarlet fever or other viral infections.

From New York Times • Jan. 24, 2024

Before medication had had time to make any impression on the disease, roseola appeared.

From The Electric Bath by Schweig, George M.

The eruptions are various; they include erythema, roseola, urticaria, herpes, etc.

From A System of Practical Medicine by American Authors, Vol. I Volume 1: Pathology and General Diseases by Various

They belong to the exanthematous class, and comprise roseola, erythema, urticaria, and rarely vesicular eruptions.37 But, instead of them, there may occur destructive tissue-lesions in the form of abscesses or ulcers.

From A System of Practical Medicine by American Authors, Vol. I Volume 1: Pathology and General Diseases by Various