HERPES
Dictionary entry overview: What does herpes mean?
• HERPES (noun)
The noun HERPES has 2 senses:
1. viral diseases causing eruptions of the skin or mucous membrane
2. any of the animal viruses that cause painful blisters on the skin
Familiarity information: HERPES used as a noun is rare.
Dictionary entry details
• HERPES (noun)
Meaning:
Viral diseases causing eruptions of the skin or mucous membrane
Classified under:
Nouns denoting stable states of affairs
Hypernyms ("herpes" is a kind of...):
infectious disease (a disease transmitted only by a specific kind of contact)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "herpes"):
herpes simplex (an infection caused by the herpes simples virus; affects the skin and nervous system; produces small temporary (but sometimes painful) blisters on the skin and mucous membranes)
herpes zoster; shingles; zoster (eruptions along a nerve path often accompanied by severe neuralgia)
Meaning:
Any of the animal viruses that cause painful blisters on the skin
Classified under:
Nouns denoting animals
Synonyms:
herpes virus; herpes
Hypernyms ("herpes" is a kind of...):
animal virus (an animal pathogen that is a virus)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "herpes"):
herpes simplex; herpes simplex virus (a herpes virus that affects the skin and nervous system)
herpes zoster; herpes zoster virus (a herpes virus that causes shingles)
EBV; Epstein-Barr virus (the herpes virus that causes infectious mononucleosis; associated with specific cancers in Africa and China)
CMV; cytomegalovirus (any of a group of herpes viruses that enlarge epithelial cells and can cause birth defects; can affect humans with impaired immunological systems)
varicella zoster virus (the member of the herpes virus family that is responsible for chickenpox)
