shingles

shingles
/shing"geuhlz/, n. (used with a sing. or pl. v.) Pathol.
a disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus, esp. by reactivated virus in an older person, characterized by skin eruptions and pain along the course of involved sensory nerves. Also called herpes zoster.
[1350-1400; < ML cingulum (L: girdle; cf. CINCTURE) trans. of Gk zóne ZONE in its medical sense; see -S3]

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Acute viral skin and nerve infection.

Groups of small blisters appear along certain nerve segments, most often on the back, sometimes after a dull ache at the site; pain becomes more severe when the blisters break out. Caused by the same virus as chickenpox, it probably results from reactivation of seemingly inactive virus in a partially immune person. Spontaneous recovery from the infection usually occurs within two weeks, but neuralgia may last months or even years longer.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • shingles — the disease, is normally treated as a singular noun (Shingles sometimes follows a bad case of measles), but it can be plural when the emphasis is on the resulting blisters rather than the illness itself (The shingles were extremely painful) …   Modern English usage

  • shingles — [shiŋ′gəlz] n. [ME schingles, altered < ML cingulus < L cingulum, a belt, girdle < cingere, to gird (see CINCH): used in ML as transl. of Gr zōnē, girdle, shingles] nontechnical name for HERPES ZOSTER …   English World dictionary

  • Shingles — Shin gles, n. [OF. cengle a girth, F. sangle, fr. L. cingulum a girdle, fr. cingere to gird. Cf. {Cincture}, {Cingle}, {Surcingle}.] (Med.) A kind of herpes ({Herpes zoster}) which spreads half way around the body like a girdle, and is usually… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • shingles — late 14c., inflammatory disease of the skin, from M.L. cingulus (loan translation of Gk. zoster girdle ), variant of L. cingulum girdle, from cingere to gird (see CINCH (Cf. cinch)). The inflammation often extends around the middle of the body,… …   Etymology dictionary

  • shingles — ► PLURAL NOUN (treated as sing. ) ▪ an acute painful inflammation of nerve endings, with a skin eruption often forming a girdle around the body. ORIGIN from Latin cingulum girdle …   English terms dictionary

  • Shingles — This interesting and unusual surname is a variant of shingler, which is of Anglo Saxon origin and is from an occupational name for someone who laid wooden tiles (shingles) on roofs. The name is derived from the Middle English (1200 1500) schingle …   Surnames reference

  • shingles — I n. building material on a roof to lay shingles II n. herpes zoster to develop shingles * * * [ herpes zoster ] to develop shingles …   Combinatory dictionary

  • Shingles — An acute infection caused by the virus Herpes zoster, which also causes chickenpox. Shingles usually emerges in adulthood after exposure to chickenpox or reactivation of the chickenpox virus, which can remain latent in body tissues for years… …   Medical dictionary

  • shingles — (Roget s IV) n. Syn. asbestos shingles, felt base shingles, shakes; see roofing …   English dictionary for students

  • shingles — shin·gles || ʃɪŋglz n. (Pathology) herpes zoster, zoster, acute viral disease in adults which is characterized by a painful skin rash on nerve pathways which is caused by the same virus that causes chicken pox shin·gle || ʃɪŋgl n. thin… …   English contemporary dictionary

  • shingles — Lap Lap, v. t. [OE. lappen to fold (see {Lap}, n.); cf. also OE. wlappen, perh. another form of wrappen, E, wrap.] 1. To fold; to bend and lay over or on something; as, to lap a piece of cloth. [1913 Webster] 2. To wrap or wind around something.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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