scabies

American  

[skey-beez, -bee-eez] / ˈskeɪ biz, -biˌiz /

noun

(used with a singular verb)

1. a contagious skin disease occurring especially in sheep and cattle and also in humans, caused by the itch mite, Sarcoptes scabiei, which burrows under the skin.

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scabies British  

/ -bɪˌiːz, ˌskeɪbɪˈɛtɪk, ˈskeɪbiːz /

noun

1. a contagious skin infection caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei, characterized by intense itching, inflammation, and the formation of vesicles and pustules

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• scabietic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of scabies

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin scabiēs “roughness, itch,” from scabere “to scratch, scrape”; see also shave

Example Sentences

Sasha McCabe, 25, from London, said she felt her time with scabies was "never going to end" after trying a variety of treatments during a 16-month period.

From BBC • Jan. 27, 2026

"This includes treatment delays, closer proximity post-pandemic and a societal stigma towards the condition, which could impact people's behaviour to seek treatment when they experience scabies," he said.

From BBC • Jan. 27, 2026

A woman who had scabies has described the experience as a "nightmare" as figures show a rise in reported cases of the parasitic infestation.

From BBC • Jan. 27, 2026

Rhodri Thomas, the National Pharmacy Association's Wales Manager, said scabies was "a distressing and highly infectious condition".

From BBC • Jan. 27, 2026

We can never see the legs of the scabies mite, but we can tell from the fact that it moves that it must have legs or something similar.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

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