measles

Meaning

Noun

1. (uncountable) An acute and highly contagious disease which often afflicts children caused by the virus Measles morbillivirus and causing red rashes, fever, runny nose, coughing, and red eyes.
2. (obsolete, uncountable) Any disease causing red rashes.
3. (obsolete, uncountable) Used as an intensifier.
4. (uncountable) Synonym of cysticercosis: A disease of livestock or meat caused by the presence of tapeworm larvae.
5. (obsolete, uncountable) Any disease causing a tree's bark to become rough and irregular.
6. (form-of, plural, uncountable) plural of measle: a red spot forming part of a rash, (now) particularly those caused by M. morbillivirus.
7. (figuratively, form-of, plural, uncountable) plural of measle: any similar-looking red spot, particularly (printing) foxing.
8. (form-of, plural, uncountable) plural of measle: the individual cysts of cysticercosis.
9. (form-of, obsolete, plural, uncountable) plural of measle: the individual blisters in the surface of a diseased tree's bark.
10. (US, jargon, uncountable) A discreet assassination made to look like death from any natural cause.

Verb

third-person singular simple present indicative of measle

measle

1. A red spot of the kind that appears on the skin of someone suffering from measles.
2. A tapeworm larva.

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Synonyms

chickenpox

smallpox

rubeola

morbilli

rubella

rash

macule

pox

skin disease

smudge

speckle

spot

spottiness

stigma

bad cold

German measles

pustules

tache

blemish

punctum

blister

eruption

fleck

macula

maculation

Translations

rougeole

sarampión

morbillo

Masern

mazelen

sarampo

kızamık

xarampió

الحصبة

ιλαρά

حصبة

variole

varicelle

ilará

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈmizəlz/

Etymology

Cognate with Middle Low German: masele

In summary

Either from Middle Dutch masels (“blood blisters, measels”) or Middle Low German maselen (“red blemishes, measels”), both from Old High German masala (“blood blister, phlegmon”). Doublet of measlings. Cognate with mazer & mase and Middle Low German masele & māsel. Influenced in pronunciation and some senses by mesel (“leprous, leper”).