chicken pox
nounUS /ˈt͡ʃɪ.k(ə)nˌpɑks/ · UK /ˈt͡ʃɪ.k(ə)nˌpɒks/
Etymology From chicken + pox, under the influence of earlier hen-pox and swinepox, which formed larger blisters.
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Medicine, Pathology, Sciences Usually The highly contagious airborne disease caused by initial infection with varicella zoster virus, typically causing a skin rash that forms small itchy blisters.
- Chickenpox parties, at which children gather so they can all be infected by a child who has the pox, are often held by parents who distrust chickenpox vaccine or want their children to have the stronger immunity that surviving a full-blown infection affords.2009 May 7, New York Times, page A12:
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Medicine, Pathology, Sciences Proscribed, Sometimes, Usually Any disease causing similar symptoms.
- Derived terms
- chickenpox party
- Related terms
- herpes zoster, shingles