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” ( cf. cincture); translation of Greek zṓnē “belt” or zōstḗr “girdle”; see 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

Bieber cancelled his world tour after revealing he was suffering from facial paralysis, after being diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome - a complication from contracting shingles - in 2022.

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

The singer announced he was diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, a shingles outbreak that can cause facial paralysis.

From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026

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 • Mar. 20, 2026

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 • Mar. 7, 2026

I bent my head and touched my cheek to the warm shingles.

From "My Brother Sam is Dead" by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier