herpes
noun/ˈhɜːpiːz/
/ˈhɜːrpiːz/
[uncountable]- one of a group of diseases, caused by a virus, that cause painful spots on the skin, especially on the face and sexual organsOxford Collocations DictionaryHerpes is used before these nouns:
- infection
- virus
Word Originlate Middle English (originally used also of other skin conditions): via Latin from Greek herpēs ‘shingles’, literally ‘creeping’, from herpein ‘to creep’.Definitions on the go
Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.
Check pronunciation:
herpes