Scabies is a very infectious skin disease caused by very small creatures and makes you want to scratch a lot.
scabies in British English
(ˈskeɪbiːz, -bɪˌiːz)
noun
a contagious skin infection caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei, characterized by intense itching, inflammation, and the formation of vesicles and pustules
Derived forms
scabietic (ˌskeɪbɪˈɛtɪk)
adjective
Word origin
C15: from Latin: scurf, from scabere to scratch; see shave
scabies in American English
(ˈskeɪbiz; ˈskeɪbiˌiz)
noun
a contagious skin disease caused by a parasitic mite (Sarcoptes scabiei) that burrows under the skin to deposit eggs, causing intense itching
Derived forms
scabietic (ˌscabiˈetic) (ˈskeɪbiˈɛtɪk)
adjective
Word origin
L, roughness, itch: see scab
Examples of 'scabies' in a sentence
scabies
Once a year we had to round them up and take them to the livestock centre to be dipped against scabies.
Fay Weldon NOTHING TO WEAR AND NOWHERE TO HIDE: A COLLECTION OF SHORT STORIES (1989)
`I think you're more likely to find scabies on the sheep they're raising.