rubella

[ roo-bel-uh ]

nounPathology.
  1. a usually mild contagious viral disease characterized by fever, mild upper respiratory congestion, and a fine red rash lasting a few days: if contracted by a woman during early pregnancy, it may cause serious damage to the fetus.

Origin of rubella

1
1880–85; <New Latin, noun use of neuter plural of Latin rubellus reddish, derivative of ruberred1; for formation see castellum

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British Dictionary definitions for rubella

rubella

/ (ruːˈbɛlə) /


noun
  1. a mild contagious viral disease, somewhat similar to measles, characterized by cough, sore throat, skin rash, and occasionally vomiting. It can cause congenital defects if caught during the first three months of pregnancy: Also called: German measles

Origin of rubella

1
C19: from New Latin, from Latin rubellus reddish, from rubeus red

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for rubella

rubella

[ rōō-bĕlə ]


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for rubella

rubella

[ (rooh-bel-uh) ]


The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.