dengue

noun

den·​gue ˈdeŋ-gē 

-ˌgā

: an acute infectious disease caused by a flavivirus (species Dengue virus of the genus Flavivirus), transmitted by aedes mosquitoes, and characterized by headache, severe joint pain, and a rash

called also breakbone fever, dengue fever

Examples of dengue in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The best way to prevent dengue is to avoid mosquito bites, according to the CDC. —Jack Moore, ABC News, 30 Oct. 2024

More than 7,300 dengue deaths were reported globally in 2023. —Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2024

The strategy would evolve into the Dengue Emergency Operations Center last February, when the city declared a dengue epidemic. —Harry Booth, TIME, 26 Sep. 2024

The incidence of dengue fever internationally has been the highest on record, especially in Latin American countries, where more than 9.7 million dengue cases have been reported so far in 2024. —Nicole Acevedo, NBC News, 2 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

American Spanish

First Known Use

1828, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

dengue

noun

den·​gue ˈdeŋ-gē  -ˌgā 

: an acute infectious disease that is characterized by headache, severe joint pain, and a rash and that is caused by a single-stranded RNA virus of the genus Flavivirus (species Dengue virus) transmitted by mosquitoes of the genus Aedes

called also breakbone fever, dandy fever, dengue fever