measles
noun
mea·sles ˈmē-zəlz 
plural in form but singular or plural in construction
1
a
: an acute contagious disease that is caused by a morbillivirus (species Measles morbillivirus) and is marked especially by an eruption of distinct red circular spots
called also rubeola
b
: any of various eruptive diseases (such as German measles)
2
[Middle English mesel infested with tapeworms, literally, leprous, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin misellus leper, from Latin, wretch, from misellus, diminutive of miser miserable] : infestation with or disease caused by larval tapeworms in the muscles and tissues
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web For instance, activists descended on Rockland County amid the 2019 measles outbreak in an attempt to counter provaccine public health messaging. 
Sara Reardon, Scientific American, 19 Aug. 2022 Rockland County was the epicenter of a large measles outbreak in 2018-2019 that centered on communities of Hasidic Jews who resist getting their children vaccinated. Helen Branswell, STAT, 17 Aug. 2022 In late 2018, the county was the epicenter of a significant measles outbreak in Orthodox Jewish communities after being first detected in an unvaccinated teenager. Los Angeles Times, 13 Aug. 2022 In 2019, the county was hit by a severe measles outbreak that forced the government to remove thousands of unvaccinated children from schools. Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 9 Aug. 2022 In 2018 and 2019, Rockland County was the epicenter of a major measles outbreak that continued for nearly a year and sickened 312 people. Brenda Goodman, CNN, 21 July 2022 The case was detected in a Rockland County, which in 2019 struggled with an explosive measles outbreak fueled by pockets of the community with low vaccination rates. Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 21 July 2022 In Zimbabwe, for example, there is currently a measles outbreak in which one in 10 children hospitalized with the illness is dying. Stephanie Nolen, New York Times, 14 July 2022 Then there was a measles outbreak in southern Washington. Julie Beck, The Atlantic, 22 Apr. 2022 See More
Sara Reardon, Scientific American, 19 Aug. 2022 Rockland County was the epicenter of a large measles outbreak in 2018-2019 that centered on communities of Hasidic Jews who resist getting their children vaccinated. Helen Branswell, STAT, 17 Aug. 2022 In late 2018, the county was the epicenter of a significant measles outbreak in Orthodox Jewish communities after being first detected in an unvaccinated teenager. Los Angeles Times, 13 Aug. 2022 In 2019, the county was hit by a severe measles outbreak that forced the government to remove thousands of unvaccinated children from schools. Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 9 Aug. 2022 In 2018 and 2019, Rockland County was the epicenter of a major measles outbreak that continued for nearly a year and sickened 312 people. Brenda Goodman, CNN, 21 July 2022 The case was detected in a Rockland County, which in 2019 struggled with an explosive measles outbreak fueled by pockets of the community with low vaccination rates. Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 21 July 2022 In Zimbabwe, for example, there is currently a measles outbreak in which one in 10 children hospitalized with the illness is dying. Stephanie Nolen, New York Times, 14 July 2022 Then there was a measles outbreak in southern Washington. Julie Beck, The Atlantic, 22 Apr. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English meseles, plural of mesel measles, spot characteristic of measles; akin to Middle Dutch masel spot characteristic of measles
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Phrases Containing measles
Kids Definition
measles
noun
mea·sles ˈmē-zəlz
1
: a contagious disease in which there are fever and red spots on the skin
2
: any of several diseases (as German measles ) resembling true measles
Medical Definition
measles
noun, plural in form but singular or plural in construction
mea·sles ˈmē-zəlz
1
a
: an acute contagious disease that is caused by a paramyxovirus of the genus Morbillivirus (species Measles morbillivirus), that commences with catarrhal symptoms, conjunctivitis, cough, and Koplik's spots on the oral mucous membrane, and that is marked by the appearance on the third or fourth day of an eruption of distinct red circular spots which coalesce in a crescentic form, are slightly raised, and after the fourth day of the eruption gradually decline
called also rubeola
b
: any of various eruptive diseases (as German measles)
2
: infestation with or disease caused by larval tapeworms in the muscles and tissues
specifically : infestation of cattle and swine with cysticerci of tapeworms that as adults parasitize humans compare measle