Herpes zoster

shin·gles   (shĭng'gəlz)    pl.n.   (used with a sing. or pl. verb) An acute viral infection characterized by inflammation of the sensory ganglia of certain spinal or cranial nerves and the eruption of vesicles along the affected nerve path. It usually strikes only one side of the body and is often accompanied by severe neuralgia. Also called herpes zoster. [Middle English, alteration (influenced by Old French cengles, pl. of cengle, shingles, and by Old French sengle, single, chingle, belt) of Medieval Latin cingulus (translation of Greek zōstēr, girdle, shingles, from the fact that the inflammation often extends around the middle of the body), variant of Latin cingulum, girdle, from cingere, to gird; see kenk- in Indo-European roots.]

Main Entry: shin·gles
Pronunciation: 'shi[ng]-g&lz
Function: noun plural but singular in construction
: an acute viral inflammation of the sensoryganglia of spinal and cranial nerves associated with a vesicular eruption and neuralgic pain and caused by reactivation of the herpesvirus causing chicken pox called also herpes zoster,zona, zoster

Main Entry: zos·ter
Pronunciation: 'zäs-t&r
Function: noun
: SHINGLES

shingles shin·gles (shĭng'gəlz)
n.
An acute infection caused by a herpesvirus and characterized by inflammation of the sensory ganglia of certain spinal or cranial nerves and the eruption of vesicles along the affected nerve path. It usually strikes only one side of the body and is often accompanied by severe neuralgia. Also called herpes zoster, zona, zoster.

zoster zos·ter (zŏs'tər)
n.
See shingles.