- Definition
- Definition
- Example Sentences
- Word History
- Phrases Containing
- Related Articles
- Entries Near
-
- To save this word, you'll need to log in.
syphilis
noun
syph·i·lis
ˈsi-f(ə-)ləs
: a chronic contagious usually venereal and often congenital disease caused by a spirochete (Treponema pallidum) and if left untreated producing chancres, rashes, and systemic lesions in a clinical course with three stages continued over many years compare primary syphilis, secondary syphilis, tertiary syphilis
Examples of syphilis in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The decades-long study, performed by the U.S. Public Health Service and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, observed the long-term effects of syphilis in hundreds of impoverished Black men between 1932 and 1972.
—Alexa Jurado, Journal Sentinel, 27 Dec. 2022
Cases of congenital syphilis, which occurs when a mother passes on the disease to her baby during pregnancy, spiked 15% from about 1,900 in 2019 to more than 2,100.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 12 Apr. 2022
For example, congenital syphilis can interrupt tooth formation.
—Charlotte Hu, Discover Magazine, 16 Sep. 2018
The medical field is working to rebuild trust with communities that have been wronged by events such as the Tuskegee syphilis experiments and the treatment of Henrietta Lacks.
—Donovan J. Thomas, ajc, 10 Dec. 2022
See all Example Sentences for syphilis
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Word History
Etymology
New Latin, from Syphilus, hero of the poem Syphilis sive Morbus Gallicus (Syphilis or the French disease) (1530) by Girolamo Fracastoro †1553 Italian poet and physician
First Known Use
1653, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing syphilis
Articles Related to syphilis
Dictionary Entries Near syphilis
Cite this Entry
“Syphilis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/syphilis. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
syphilis
noun
syph·i·lis
ˈsif-(ə-)ləs
: a venereal disease that is caused by a spirochete and if left untreated is marked by a series of three stages extending over many years
Medical Definition
syphilis
noun
syph·i·lis
ˈsif-(ə-)ləs
: a chronic contagious usually venereal and often congenital disease that is caused by a spirochete of the genus Treponema (T. pallidum) and if left untreated produces chancres, rashes, and systemic lesions in a clinical course with three stages continued over many years
called also lues
see primary syphilis, secondary syphilis, tertiary syphilisMore from Merriam-Webster on syphilis
Nglish: Translation of syphilis for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of syphilis for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about syphilis
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share