Zika
Americannoun
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Zika disease,. Zika fever,. Zika virus disease. an illness caused by a chiefly mosquito-borne virus of the genus Flavivirus , typically characterized by mild fever, rash, and joint pain.
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the virus that causes this illness; Zika virus.
Etymology
Origin of Zika
First recorded in 1950–55, Zika is from the Luganda word zika “overgrown”; the virus was first identified in a rhesus monkey in the Zika Forest in Uganda
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The bacteria itself blocks transmission of diseases such as dengue, Zika and chikungunya, so "you will still have mosquitoes biting people, but they will not transmit disease."
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
Zika can spread from a birthing parent to their child in the womb and cause congenital disabilities, which notoriously led to panic after an outbreak erupted in Brazil in 2015.
From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026
Not only do they drive residents nuts with itchy bites, but they can carry a number of potentially serious diseases, including dengue, Zika, chikungunya and yellow fever.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026
After all, this was the year that brought Brexit, the Zika virus outbreak and the deaths of David Bowie, George Michael and Prince.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 29, 2026
Polluted air, bacteria-infested water, and the Zika virus.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
