measles

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a highly contagious viral disease that causes fever, cough, inflamed eyes, and a spreading red rash

   Vaccination has made measles far less common in countries with high immunization rates.

From Middle English mesels or meseles, a plural disease name related to mesel, 'leprous' or 'a leper,' borrowed through Old French from Late Latin misellus, 'wretched person.' The plural form became fixed as the English name of the disease and is normally treated as singular.

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