herpes

[ hur-peez ]
/ ˈhɜr piz /

noun Pathology.

any of several diseases caused by herpesvirus, characterized by eruption of blisters on the skin or mucous membranes. Compare chickenpox, genital herpes, oral herpes, shingles.

Origin of herpes

1375–1425; late Middle English < New Latin: cutaneous eruption < Greek hérpēs, literally, a creeping (akin to hérpein to creep, spread); cognate with Latin serpēns serpent

Example sentences from the Web for herpes

British Dictionary definitions for herpes

herpes
/ (ˈhɜːpiːz) /

noun

any of several inflammatory diseases of the skin, esp herpes simplex, characterized by the formation of small watery blisters See also genital herpes

Word Origin for herpes

C17: via Latin from Greek: a creeping, from herpein to creep

Medical definitions for herpes

herpes
[ hûrpēz ]

n.

Any of several viral diseases causing the eruption of small blisterlike vesicles on the skin or mucous membranes, especially herpes simplex or herpes zoster.

Other words from herpes

her•petic (hər-pĕtĭk) adj.

Scientific definitions for herpes

herpes
[ hûrpēz ]

Any of several infections caused by the herpes simplex virus of the genus Simplexvirus or by the varicella-zoster virus, a herpes virus of the genus Varicellavirus. Herpes infections are characterized by painful blisters on the skin or a mucous membrane and are highly contagious. Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted disease. Varicella-zoster infection is also called shingles.

Cultural definitions for herpes

herpes
[ (hur-peez) ]

A group of related diseases and the viruses that cause them. These diseases are marked by the development of blisterlike sores on the skin or mucous membranes of the body. The herpes virus may invade the mouth region, producing fever blisters or cold sores, or may cause a sexually transmitted disease in which the painful sores appear on the genitals. Chicken pox is another disease caused by a herpes virus.

notes for herpes

After an infection, the virus remains dormant and may return at a later time. Shingles, for example, is a recurrence of the chicken pox virus, and outbreaks of genital herpes recur over time.