Leprosy

Definitions

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
2. 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
3. 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
4. A contagious disease causing similar effects in animals, particularly
   abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, uncountable, usually
5. Ellipsis of murine leprosy or feline leprosy (“diseases caused in rodents and cats by Mycobacterium lepraemurium”).
   abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, uncountable, usually
6. Synonym of mange and glanders in horses.
   obsolete, uncountable, usually
7. Synonym of leprosarium: a place for the housing of lepers in isolation from the rest of society.
   obsolete, rare, uncountable, usually

Equivalents

Examples

“Then is it surely a leprosy”

“The great London doctors knew nothing about leprosy and cared less.”

“The new drug—diaminodiphenylsulphone... offers the first certain cure... and leprosy can be cured in six months”

“Leprosy seems to have⟳ spread⟳ from India to the Middle East by early antiquity and from there to Europe during the time of the Roman Empire.”

“Sin is a spiritual leprosy.”

CEFR level