shingles

American  

[shing-guhlz] / ˈʃɪŋ gəlz /

noun

(used with a singular or plural verb)

1. a disease caused by the varicella zoster virus, especially by reactivated virus in an older person, characterized by skin eruptions and pain along the course of involved sensory nerves.

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shingles British  

/ ˈʃɪŋɡəlz /

noun

1. Technical names: herpes zoster.   zoster.  (functioning as singular) an acute viral disease affecting the ganglia of certain nerves, characterized by inflammation, pain, and skin eruptions along the course of the affected nerve

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shingles Scientific  

/ shĭng′gəlz /

1. See under herpes

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Etymology

Origin of shingles

First recorded in 1350–1400; from Medieval Latin cingulum, in Latin: “girdle,” from cingere “to gird, cinch” ( cincture ); translation of Greek zṓnē “belt” or zōstḗr “girdle”; zone, zoster

Compare meaning

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

• genital herpes vs. shingles

Example Sentences

People living with heart disease who received a shingles vaccine experienced nearly half the rate of serious heart-related events within a year compared with those who were not vaccinated.

From Science Daily

The schoolhouse had lost some shingles and had the dry, webby look of a schoolhouse in summertime.

From Literature

This is what makes the data on the shingles vaccine so compelling, says Nicholas Doher, a neurologist at the Cleveland Clinic and a specialist in memory and cognitive disorders.

From MarketWatch

A shingles vaccine may do more than prevent a painful rash.

From Science Daily

It had previously been thought that vaccinating children against chickenpox would cause a problematic rise in the linked condition shingles, but a recent long-term study from the US disproved that theory.

From BBC