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syphilis

[sif-uh-lis]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

Pathology.

a chronic infectious disease, caused by a spirochete, Treponema pallidum, usually venereal in origin but often congenital, and affecting almost any organ or tissue in the body, especially the genitals, skin, mucous membranes, aorta, brain, liver, bones, and nerves.

syphilis

/ ˈsɪfɪlɪs, ˌsɪfɪˈlɪtɪk /

noun

a venereal disease caused by infection with the microorganism Treponema pallidum: characterized by an ulcerating chancre, usually on the genitals and progressing through the lymphatic system to nearly all tissues of the body, producing serious clinical manifestations

syphilis

A sexually transmitted disease caused by the spirochete Treponema pallidum that is characterized in its primary stage by genital sores. If untreated, skin ulcers develop in the next stage, called secondary syphilis. As the disease progresses to potentially fatal tertiary syphilis, neurologic involvement with weakness and skeletal or cardiovascular damage can occur.

syphilis

A sexually transmitted disease caused by a microorganism. In its initial stages (called primary syphilis), it is manifested by a skin ulcer called a chancre. If the disease is not treated by penicillin or other antibiotics, the infection becomes chronic. In so-called tertiary syphilis, virtually any tissue in the body can be damaged, including the cardiovascular and nervous systems. The disease, if left untreated, can cause blindness, mental illness, and death.

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Other Word Forms

syphilitic adjective
ˌ��ˈ��پ�� adverb
ˈ��ˌ��Ǿ�� adjective

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Word History and Origins

Origin of syphilis¹

< New Latin, coined by Giovanni Fracastoro (1478–1553), Italian physician and poet, in his 1530 Latin poem Syphilis, sive morbus Gallicus (“Syphilis, or the French Disease”), an early account of syphilis

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Word History and Origins

Origin of syphilis¹

C18: from New Latin Syphilis ( sive Morbus Gallicus ) ``Syphilis (or the French disease)'', title of a poem (1530) by G. Fracastoro, Italian physician and poet, in which a shepherd Syphilus is portrayed as the first victim of the disease

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

New cases of the sexually transmitted infection syphilis have risen again in England, continuing a trend dating back to the early 2000s.

From

And syphilis is far from the only sign of a terribly sick health care system.

From

Congenital syphilis, in which syphilis is transmitted to an infant, can lead to miscarriages, stillbirth or disabilities.

From

"It tends to be a silent infection, but it can develop into neuro syphilis and cause cardiac problems."

From

Schiele was 14 when his father died of syphilis, not long after a suicide attempt.

From

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sypher syphilitic

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