Dictionary

measles en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /ˈmizəlz/ (General-American)
• /ˈmiːzəlz/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (US) audio

Etymology

Either from Middle Dutch masels (“blood blisters, measels”) or Middle Low German maselen (“red blemishes, measels”), both from Old High German masala (“blood blister, phlegmon”). Doublet of measlings. Cognate with mazer & mase and Middle Low German masele & māsel. Influenced in pronunciation and some senses by mesel (“leprous, leper”).

Meanings

1. (uncountable) An acute and highly contagious disease which often afflicts children caused by the virus Measles morbillivirus and causing red rashes, fever, runny nose, coughing, and red eyes.
   • In the camps a case of measles is defined as a generalized rash of three or more days duration, with a fever of at least 38.8°C.., and any one of the following: cough, coryza or conjunctivitis. 1990, International Journal of Epidemiology, volume 19, page 1073:
   • Maybe it's the 'measles. They say they're going around the neighborhood. 1970, Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, page 78:
   • Olivia, my eldest daughter, caught measles when she was seven years old. As the illness took its usual course I can remember reading to her often in bed and not feeling particularly alarmed about it. 1986, Roald Dahl, Measles: A Dangerous Illness:
   • Although the MMR vaccine was introduced in 1988, Britain offered separate measles injections until 1999. 2002 February 10, Sarah Lyall, “Britain Tries to Quell Fear Over Vaccine for Children”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 14 Feb 2021:
2. (form-of, plural, uncountable) An acute and highly contagious disease which often afflicts children caused by the virus Measles morbillivirus and causing red rashes, fever, runny nose, coughing, and red eyes. ▸ plural of measle: a red spot forming part of a rash, (now) particularly those caused by M. morbillivirus.
   form of measle
   • Others take a fether, and dippe it in the saide water, and therwith they annoynte all the Measells of the Face when they are come forth. 1599, "A.M." translating Osswald Gäbelkhover as The Boock of Physicke, p. 277
3. (uncountable) Synonym of cysticercosis: A disease of livestock or meat caused by the presence of tapeworm larvae.
   • Porcine measles, thought by classical writers to be leprosy, is actually the result of tapeworm cysts which cause ulcerations of the pig's tongue. 1992, Maguelonne Toussaint-Samat, translated by Anthea Bell, The History of Food, page 416:
   • The Swyne dyed of the Measils. 1641, Ben Jonson, Timber:
4. (form-of, plural, uncountable) Synonym of cysticercosis: A disease of livestock or meat caused by the presence of tapeworm larvae. ▸ plural of measle: the individual cysts of cysticercosis.
   form of measle
5. (obsolete, uncountable) Any disease causing a tree's bark to become rough and irregular.
   • Their fruit-trees are subject to two diseases, the Meazels... and lowsiness. 1674, John Josselyn, An Account of Two Voyages to New-England, page 190:
6. (form-of, obsolete, plural, uncountable) Any disease causing a tree's bark to become rough and irregular. ▸ plural of measle: the individual blisters in the surface of a diseased tree's bark.
   form of measle
7. (figuratively, form-of, plural, uncountable) plural of measle: any similar-looking red spot, particularly (printing) foxing.
   form of measle
   • Measles. When prints are imperfectly fixed, the appearance presented is very similar to that of the same disease in the human subject. Hence the name. 1867, Thomas Sutton et al., Dictionary of Photography, page 217:
   • The stars, like measles, fade at last. 1929, Samuel Hoffenstein, “Mr Walter de la Mare”, in Poems in Praise of Practically Nothing, page 147:
   • How do I get the measles out of an Indian paper print, Lovejoy?... Measles is trade nickname for foxing, those brown spots... that trouble books, prints, and watercolors. 1990, John Grant, The Very Last Gambado, page 125:
   • The Lady Tofaa also had a red measle of paint on her forehead between her eyes. 1984, Gary Jennings, The Journeyer, page 671:
8. (US, jargon, uncountable) A discreet assassination made to look like death from natural causes.
   • Such final solutions, sometimes referred to as termination with extreme prejudice, are known in the CIA as dying of the measles — that is, the death appears to be of natural causes. 1977, Raymond Edward Palmer, The Making of a Spy, page 99:
   • […] they would prefer having him "die of the measles," as wags at the CIA put it, than be punished by legal means. If there is no convenient way of administering the "measles," they may even favor simply letting him go. 1975, Miles Copeland, Beyond Cloak and Dagger: Inside the CIA, page 204:
9. (obsolete, uncountable) Any disease causing red rashes.
10. (obsolete, uncountable) Used as an intensifier.
    • Why the meazills, should you stand heere, with your traine... 1614 November 10 (first performance; Gregorian calendar), Beniamin Iohnson [i.e., Ben Jonson], Bartholmew Fayre: A Comedie, […], London: […] I[ohn] B[eale] for Robert Allot, […], published 1631, →OCLC, (please specify the page):

Forms

Deriveds

measles party · measly · 3-day measles · blue measles · black measles · false measles · three-day measles · antimeasles · postmeasles · sheep measles · Liberty measles · French measles · porcine measles · German measles · measleslike · beef measles

Hypernyms

Morbillivirus

Hyponyms

hard measles (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · German measles (any disease causing red rashes) · red measles (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · 10-day measles (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · 7-day measles (disease caused by M. morbillivirus)

Relateds

SSPE · subacute sclerosing panencephalitis

Synonyms

the dickens · measlings (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · cysticercosis · rubeola (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · morbilli (disease caused by M. morbillivirus)

Translations (101)

mn ᠤᠯᠠᠭᠠᠨ ᠨᠣᠳ (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · mn улаан нуд (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · hu kanyaró (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · kmr sorik (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · cmn 麻疹 (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · pov sarampa (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · ckb سوورێژە (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · dar аринж (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · ru корь (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · sv mässling (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · ug قىزىل (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · as সৰু আই (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · is mislingar (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · hy կարմրուկ (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · sw ukambi (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · lt tymai (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · vo morbil (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · es sarampión (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · ro pojar (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · fo meslingar (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · he חצבת (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · ur خسرہ (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · sk osýpky (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · bg дребна шарка (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · pt sarampo (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · ast sarapicu (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · nb meslinger (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · af masels (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · zza surıc (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · mi mītera (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · wa rodjetes (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · ast zarapicu (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · chr ᎤᏁᏲᏘᏍᎩ (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · ca xarampió (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · mi mate karawaka (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · de Masern (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · zza surani (Similar skin diseases) · ka წითელა (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · ko 홍역 (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · mn улаан бурхан (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · ast xarampín (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · eo morbilo (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · lv masalas (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · id campak (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · lb Riedelen (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · mn улаан нод (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · fi tuhkarokko (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · th หัด (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · vi sởi (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · oc senepiu (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · tl tigdas (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · et leetrid (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · fr rougeole (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · bcl tipdas (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · bg шарка (Similar skin diseases) · fa سرخک (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · eu elgorri (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · uk кір (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · nn meslingar (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · az qızılca (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · la sirimpiō (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · zza surani (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · km កញ្ជ្រឹល (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · ary بوحمرون (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · ckt челгат (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · gl xarampón (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · be адзёр (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · mn ᠤᠯᠠᠭᠠᠨ ᠪᠤᠷᠬᠠᠨ (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · hi खसरा (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · mt ħosba (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · ta சின்னமுத்து (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · ms campak (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · kix tsûkèih (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · bg морбили (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · mi mītara (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · sw surua (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · tr kızamık (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · nl mazelen (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · oc sarrampiu (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · ja 麻疹 (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · fi rokko (Similar skin diseases) · kl mæslingit (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · cs spalničky (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · es sarampión (Similar skin diseases) · gl sarampelo (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · pl odra (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · ba ҡыҙылса (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · da mæslinger (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · cy y frech goch (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · it morbillo (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · nl morbilli (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · ta தட்டம்மை (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · nrf rouogeule (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · ar حَصْبَة (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · wa rovioûles (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · ga bruitíneach (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · ta அம்மை (Similar skin diseases) · unm màxkpehëleokàn (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · mk сипаници (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · el ιλαρά (disease caused by M. morbillivirus) · ro rujeolă (disease caused by M. morbillivirus)

wikidata: Q79793 · wikidata: Q79793 · wikipedia: measles vaccine · wikipedia: measles

measles en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /ˈmizəlz/ (General-American)
• /ˈmiːzəlz/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (US) audio

Etymology

Either from Middle Dutch masels (“blood blisters, measels”) or Middle Low German maselen (“red blemishes, measels”), both from Old High German masala (“blood blister, phlegmon”). Doublet of measlings. Cognate with mazer & mase and Middle Low German masele & māsel. Influenced in pronunciation and some senses by mesel (“leprous, leper”).

Meanings

1. (form-of, indicative, present, singular, third-person) third-person singular simple present indicative of measle
   form of measle

Forms

wikipedia: measles

measles en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /ˈmizəlz/ (General-American)
• /ˈmiːzəlz/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (US) audio

Etymology

From Middle English mesel (“leprous, leper”), from Norman mesel (“leprous, leper”), from Old French mesel (“leprous, leper”), from Late Latin misellus (“leper”), from miser (“wretched, wretch”) + -ellus (“-elle”).

Meanings

1. (form-of, obsolete, plural) plural of measle
   form of measle
2. (alt-of, alternative, obsolete) Alternative form of mesels: Leprosy.
   alt of mesels

Forms

wikipedia: measles