different between measles vs measle

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?mi?z?lz/

Etymology 1

Plural of Middle English mesel, masel, probably from Middle Dutch masel (“blemish”) due to confusion with measle. Cognate with Middle Low German masele, m?sel.

Noun

measles (plural measles)

1. Rubeola, an acute highly contagious disease, often of childhood, caused by Measles virus, of genus Morbillivirus, featuring a spreading red skin rash, fever, runny nose, cough and red eyes
2. Any of several other similar diseases, such as German measles.
3. A disease of pigs and cattle, caused by larval tapeworms.
4. A disease of trees, in which the leaves are covered in spots.
5. (US, espionage, slang) A discreet assassination performed by the CIA so that death appears to be from natural causes.
   • 1975, Miles Copeland, Beyond Cloak and Dagger: Inside the CIA (page 204)

     […] they would prefer having him "die of the measles," as wags at the CIA put it, than be punished by legal means. If there is no convenient way of administering the "measles," they may even favor simply letting him go.

   • 1977, Raymond Edward Palmer, The Making of a Spy (page 99)

     Such final solutions, sometimes referred to as termination with extreme prejudice, are known in the CIA as dying of the measles — that is, the death appears to be of natural causes.

Usage notes

• Plural in form, but usually used with a singular verb.

Synonyms

• (disease): morbilli, rubeola, red measles, 7-day measles, 10-day measles, hard measles

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 2

See measle

Noun

measles

1. (obsolete) plural of measle

Noun

measles pl (plural only)

1. (obsolete) Leprosy.

Anagrams

• Saleems, almesse

English

Etymology

From Middle English mesel, from Old French mesel (“leprous”), from Latin misellus (“wretched", "unfortunate”), diminutive of miser (“wretched", "sick”).

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -i?z?l

Noun

measle (plural measles)

1. A red spot of the kind that appears on the skin of someone suffering from measles.
2. A tapeworm larva.

Derived terms

• measled
• measling

Translations

See also

• measles

Anagrams

• Saleem