Scabies
//ˈskeɪ.biz// noun
noun ·Uncommon ·College level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An infestation of parasitic mites, Sarcoptes scabiei, causing intense itching caused by the mites burrowing into the skin of humans and other animals. It is easily transmissible from human to human; secondary skin infection may occur. uncountable
"Further, just as the discovery of the cause of scabies proved the absurdity of many of the old prescriptions for the prevention and treatment of that disease; so the discovery of the cause of splenic fever, and other such maladies, has given a new direction to prophylactic and curative measures against the worst scourges of humanity."
- 2 a contagious skin infection caused by the itch mite; characterized by persistent itching and skin irritation wordnet
Example
More examples"I remember as a kid, I once got scabies and almost scratched the skin off my back."
Etymology
From Middle English scabies, scabiez, from Latin scabiēs (“scurf; scab, mange, itch”), from scabō (“scratch, scrape”, verb).
Related phrases
More for "scabies"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.