scabies
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.
Related words
- antiscabies
- scabicide
Example sentences
Word history
From Latin "scabiēs" (scurf; scab, mange, itch).
Where this comes from
This definition is adapted from “scabies” on Wiktionary, by its contributors; example sentences are from Tatoeba, credited to their authors above, published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.