rubella

[ roo-bel-uh ]

/ ruˈbɛl ə /

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noun Pathology.

a usually mild contagious viral disease characterized by fever, mild upper respiratory congestion, and a fine red rash lasting a few days: if contracted by a woman during early pregnancy, it may cause serious damage to the fetus.

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Also called German measles.

Origin of rubella

1880–85; <New Latin, noun use of neuter plural of Latin rubellus reddish, derivative of ruberred¹; for formation see castellum

Words nearby rubella

rubefacient, rubefaction, rubefy, Rube Goldberg, rub elbows with, rubella, rubellite, Ruben, Rubenesque, Rubens, Rubens, Peter Paul

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use rubella in a sentence

They had a pretty bad resistance coming from some of the local Muslim leaders in an MR, measles rubella campaign, a few years ago, and it really undermined acceptance and totally disrupted this nationwide effort.
Here’s the Right Story for Vaccine Holdouts - Issue 103: Healthy Communication|Stuart Firestein|July 14, 2021|Nautilus
No safety steps were skipped, says Stanley Plotkin, emeritus professor of pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania, who is perhaps best known for his work developing the rubella vaccine.
How COVID-19 vaccines were made so quickly without cutting corners|Rachel Lance|June 29, 2021|Science News
Its universal immunization program, against diseases like measles, rubella, and tuberculosis, is among the most robust in the world, with the drive against polio often cited as a success.
India’s Covid-19 vaccine program has glaring data and communication issues|Manavi Kapur|April 28, 2021|Quartz
In some parts of Italy, vaccine coverage was very low, not only for measles, mumps, and rubella but also for polio—not even reaching 80 percent in some areas, which is unbelievable.
How to Conquer COVID-19 Amid a Confederacy of Dunces - Issue 99: Universality|Eric Topol & Abraham Verghese|April 7, 2021|Nautilus

In this case, proteins found in pneumococcal vaccines and, to a lesser degree, ones found in Hib and rubella vaccines as well look like several proteins produced by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Until A Coronavirus Vaccine Is Ready, Pneumonia Vaccines May Reduce Deaths From COVID-19|LGBTQ-Editor|October 15, 2020|No Straight News
This happens, for instance, in one out of five vaccinations against rubella.
Uh Oh: Ebola Vaccine Trials Stop|Leigh Cowart|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
From 1962-1965, there was a worldwide epidemic of rubella, the so-called “German measles.”
Heed the Warnings: Why We’re on the Brink of Mass Extinction|Sean B. Carroll|November 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It is currently administered as one of the components of the MMR vaccine (along with measles and rubella).
Thanks to Anti-Vaxxers, Mumps Are Back. What’s Next?|Russell Saunders|March 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
So too with rubella: the U.S. was certified as rubella-free in 2004, meaning that no cases were seen in persons residing here.
Why Rubella’s Scary Comeback Should Convince Vaccine Deniers|Kent Sepkowitz|March 30, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Thus the infants likely exposed countless health-care workers to large amounts of rubella virus.
Why Rubella’s Scary Comeback Should Convince Vaccine Deniers|Kent Sepkowitz|March 30, 2013|DAILY BEAST
German measles, or rubella, is a distinct disease and has nothing to do with ordinary measles.
The Care and Feeding of Children|L. Emmett Holt

British Dictionary definitions for rubella

rubella

/ (ruːˈbɛlə) /

noun

a mild contagious viral disease, somewhat similar to measles, characterized by cough, sore throat, skin rash, and occasionally vomiting. It can cause congenital defects if caught during the first three months of pregnancyAlso called: German measles

Word Origin for rubella

C19: from New Latin, from Latin rubellus reddish, from rubeus red

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for rubella

rubella

[ rōō-bĕl′ə ]

See German measles.

Cultural definitions for rubella

rubella

[ (rooh-bel-uh) ]

See German measles.