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Leprosy

//ˈlɛpɹəsi// noun

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    An infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae, gradually producing nerve damage and patches of skin necrosis and historically handled by permanently quarantining its sufferers. uncountable, usually

    "Then is it surely a leprosy"

  2. 2
    chronic granulomatous communicable disease occurring in tropical and subtropical regions; characterized by inflamed nodules beneath the skin and wasting of body parts; caused by the bacillus Mycobacterium leprae wordnet
  3. 3
    Similar contagious skin diseases causing light patches of scaly skin, particularly psoriasis, syphilis, vitiligo, scabies, and (biblical) the various diseases considered "tzaraath" in the Old Testament. proscribed, uncountable, usually
  4. 4
    Anything considered similarly permanent, harmful, and communicable, particularly when such a thing should be handled by avoidance or isolation of its victims. figuratively, uncountable, usually

    "Sin is a spiritual leprosy."

  5. 5
    A contagious disease causing similar effects in animals, particularly; Ellipsis of murine leprosy or feline leprosy (“diseases caused in rodents and cats by Mycobacterium lepraemurium”). abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, uncountable, usually
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  1. 6
    A contagious disease causing similar effects in animals, particularly; Synonym of mange and glanders in horses. obsolete, uncountable, usually
  2. 7
    Synonym of leprosarium: a place for the housing of lepers in isolation from the rest of society. obsolete, rare, uncountable, usually

Etymology

From Norman leprosie, from Middle French leprosie (“leprosy & similar skin diseases”), probably from leprous (“leprous”) + -ie (“-y”) but possibly from Medieval Latin leprōsia (leprōsus + -ia) although this only historically attested in reference to leprosariums. 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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