leprosy

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae that primarily affects the skin and peripheral nerves; Hansen's disease

   Modern multidrug therapy can cure leprosy and prevent most long-term disability when treatment begins early.

2. 2
   noun

   figurative and often stigmatizing: something viewed as corrupting, repellent, or liable to spread

   The writer described bribery as a leprosy that had spread through the administration.

Appears in

From Norman and Middle French leprosie, ultimately from Greek lepra ('a scaly skin disease'), from lepros ('scaly'). Historical uses covered several skin conditions; the modern medical term refers specifically to Hansen's disease.

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary