rubella
rubella Lexical Profile
rubella Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A contagious viral infection, typically mild in children and adults, characterized by a distinctive red or pink rash, swollen lymph nodes, and a low-grade fever, which can cause severe congenital defects if contracted by a woman during early pregnancy.
"Routine childhood vaccination with the MMR shot has dramatically reduced the incidence of rubella worldwide."
Word Nuance & Usage
Although commonly called "German measles" or "three-day measles," rubella is caused by a completely different virus than standard measles (rubeola) and is generally much milder, though it poses severe risks to a developing fetus during pregnancy.
• Rhymes for rubella
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in 1866 by Scottish physician Henry Veale from the Latin feminine plural of 'rubellus' (reddish), a diminutive of 'ruber' (red), in reference to the characteristic pink skin rash.