syphilis
/ˈsɪfɪlɪs
/noun [mass noun]
A chronic bacterial disease that is contracted chiefly by infection during sexual intercourse, but also congenitally by infection of a developing fetus.
- This is caused by the spirochaete Treponema pallidum. The infection progresses in four successive stages: primary syphilis, characterized by a chancre in the part infected; secondary syphilis, affecting chiefly the skin, lymph nodes, and mucous membranes; tertiary syphilis, involving the spread of tumour-like lesions (gummas) throughout the body, frequently damaging the cardiovascular and central nervous systems; quaternary syphilis neurosyphilis.
- Other less common but serious infections are also checked for, including HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B.
- We did not identify any new cases of HIV infection or syphilis.
Derivatives
syphilitic
/ adjective & noun ...- Other sites include stasis ulcers, decubitus ulcers, granuloma inguinale, syphilitic lesions, and smallpox vaccination scars.
- It was used as a device to cover syphilitic pustules and gonorrhoeal warts in the genital area.
- Syphilis is passed from person to person by direct contact with a syphilitic ulcer.
syphilize
Origin
Early 18th century: modern Latin, from Syphilis, sive Morbus Gallicus, the title of a Latin poem (1530), from the name of the character Syphilus, the supposed first sufferer of the disease.