AIDS
[ eydz ]
/ eɪdz /
noun Pathology.
a disease of the immune system characterized by increased susceptibility to opportunistic infections, as pneumocystis carinii pneumonia and candidiasis, to certain cancers, as Kaposi's sarcoma, and to neurological disorders: caused by a retrovirus and transmitted chiefly through blood or blood products that enter the body's bloodstream, especially by sexual contact or contaminated hypodermic needles.
Compare
AIDS virus.
Origin of AIDS
1982;
a(cquired)
i(mmune)
d(eficiency)
s(yndrome)
Words nearby AIDS
Definition for aids (2 of 3)
aid
[ eyd ]
/ eɪd /
verb (used with object)
to provide support for or relief to; help: to aid the homeless victims of the fire.
to promote the progress or accomplishment of; facilitate.
verb (used without object)
to give help or assistance.
noun
Origin of aid
1375–1425; (noun) late Middle English
ayde < Anglo-French, Old French
aide, noun derivative of
aid(i)er < Latin
adjūtāre to help (frequentative of
adjuvāre), equivalent to
ad-
ad- +
-jū- help +
-t- frequentative suffix +
-āre infinitive suffix; (v.) < Anglo-French, Old French
aid(i)er < Latin, as above
SYNONYMS FOR aid
usage note for aid
Although the nouns
aid and
aide both have among their meanings “an assisting person,” the spelling
aide is increasingly used for the sense “helper, assistant”:
One of the senator's aides is calling.
Aide in military use is short for
aide-de-camp. It is also the spelling in
nurse's aide.
OTHER WORDS FROM aid
Definition for aids (3 of 3)
AID
[ eyd ]
/ eɪd /
noun U.S. Government.
the division of the United States International Development Cooperation Agency that coordinates the various foreign aid programs with U.S. foreign policy: established in 1961.
Origin of AID
A(gency for)
I(nternational)
D(evelopment)
Example sentences from the Web for aids
British Dictionary definitions for aids (1 of 4)
AIDS
Aids
/ (eɪdz) /
n acronym for
acquired immune (or immuno-)deficiency syndrome: a condition, caused by a virus, in which certain white blood cells (lymphocytes) are destroyed, resulting in loss of the body's ability to protect itself against disease. AIDS is transmitted by sexual intercourse, through infected blood and blood products, and through the placenta
British Dictionary definitions for aids (2 of 4)
Aid
-aid
n combining form
denoting a charitable organization or function that raises money for a cause
Band Aid; Ferryaid
British Dictionary definitions for aids (3 of 4)
AID
abbreviation for
acute infectious disease
artificial insemination (by) donor: former name for Donor Insemination (DI)
British Dictionary definitions for aids (4 of 4)
aid
/ (eɪd) /
verb
to give support to (someone to do something); help or assist
(tr)
to assist financially
noun
Derived forms of aid
aider, nounWord Origin for aid
C15: via Old French
aidier from Latin
adjūtāre to help, from
juvāre to help
Medical definitions for aids (1 of 2)
AIDS
[ ādz ]
n.
A severe immunological disorder caused by the retrovirus HIV, resulting in a defect in cell-mediated immune response that is manifested by increased susceptibility to opportunistic infections and to certain rare cancers, especially Kaposi's sarcoma. It is transmitted primarily by exposure to contaminated body fluids, especially blood and semen.
Medical definitions for aids (2 of 2)
AID
abbr.
artificial insemination donor
Scientific definitions for aids
AIDS
[ ādz ]
Short for acquired immune deficiency syndrome. An infectious disease of the immune system caused by an human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). AIDS is characterized by a decrease in the number of helper T cells, which causes a severe immunodeficiency that leaves the body susceptible to a variety of potentially fatal infections. The virus is transmitted in infected bodily fluids such as semen and blood, as through sexual intercourse, the use of contaminated hypodermic syringes, and placental transfer between mother and fetus. Although a cure or vaccine is not yet available, a number of antiviral drugs can decrease the viral load and subsequent infections in patients with AIDS.
Cultural definitions for aids
AIDS
[ (aydz) ]
Acronym for acquired immune deficiency syndrome, a fatal disease caused by the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV. Believed to have originated in Africa, AIDS has become an epidemic, infecting tens of millions of people worldwide. The virus, which is transmitted from one individual to another through the exchange of body fluids (such as blood or semen), attacks white blood cells, thereby causing the body to lose its capacity to ward off infection. As a result, many AIDS patients die of opportunistic infections that strike their debilitated bodies. AIDS first appeared in the United States in 1981, primarily among homosexuals and intravenous drug users who shared needles, but throughout the world, it is also transmitted by heterosexual contact. Today, scientists are hopeful that AIDS can be managed by new drugs, such as protease inhibitors, and need not be fatal. (See AZT.)