rubella

American  

[roo-bel-uh] / ruˈbɛl ə /

noun

Pathology.

1. 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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rubella British  

/ ruːˈbɛlə /

noun

1. Also called: German measles.  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 pregnancy

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rubella Scientific  

/ ro̅o̅-bĕl′ə /

1. See German measles

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rubella Cultural  

1. See German measles.

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Etymology

Origin of rubella

1880–85; < New Latin, noun use of neuter plural of Latin rubellus reddish, derivative of ruber red ¹; for formation see castellum

Compare meaning

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

• rubella vs. rubeola
• roseola vs. rubella

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rubella

Beyond scheduling difficulties for parents, clinics and doctors’ offices, no company even makes separate immunizations for measles, mumps and rubella, Pan said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026

It calls for the measles, mumps and rubella vaccination to be given in separate shots rather than the combination shot commonly given in the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

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

From BBC ● Mar. 16, 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

All four of these traits apply to what Americans think of as the familiar acute epidemic diseases of childhood, including measles, rubella, mumps, pertussis, and smallpox.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond