mumps
mumps Lexical Profile
mumps Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A contagious viral disease caused by a paramyxovirus, characterized by fever and painful swelling of the salivary glands, especially the parotid glands at the sides of the face.
"Routine childhood immunization with the MMR vaccine has drastically reduced the incidence of mumps."
A state of sullenness, sulkiness, or silent displeasure (now archaic or dialectal, usually used with 'the').
"He sat in the corner with a case of the mumps after losing the card game."
Word Nuance & Usage
Although 'mumps' is plural in form, it takes a singular verb when referring to the viral disease (e.g., "Mumps is preventable through vaccination").
• Rhymes for mumps
Word Origin & Etymology
First recorded in the late 16th century, derived as the plural of the obsolete verb 'mump', meaning to grimace, mutter, or sulk, in reference to the distorted facial expression caused by the swollen salivary glands.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.