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Lepra

//ˈlɛprə// noun

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Synonym of leprosy. archaic, uncountable

    "Lepra is an endemic, chronic, malignant, constitutional disease, due to a specific bacillus."

  2. 2
    Synonym of psoriasis. obsolete, uncountable

    "Lepra and psoriasis are identical, though the two names are retained."

  3. 3
    Any layer of algae, lichens, or other substance producing a leprosylike appearance on the surfaces of plants. obsolete, rare, uncountable

    "Lepra is frequently met with on the trunks, especially of young trees."

Etymology

From Latin lepra (“psoriasis & similar skin diseases”), from Koine Greek λέπρα (lépra, “psoriasis & similar skin diseases”), from λεπρός (leprós, “scaly”), from either λεπίς (lepís, “scale”) or λέπος (lépos, “husk, scale”) + -ρος (-ros, suffix forming adjectives). The shift of sense from psoriasis to Hansen's disease occurred in large part from the use of λέπρα (lépra) to translate Hebrew צרעת (“tzaraath”) in the Septuagint and its subsequent use in the New Testament and Late Latin.

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