Mumps is a disease usually caught by children. It causes a mild fever and painful swelling of the glands in the neck.
mumps in British English
(mʌmps)
noun
(functioning as singular or plural)
an acute contagious viral disease of the parotid salivary glands, characterized by swelling of the affected parts, fever, and pain beneath the ear: usually affects children
Also called: epidemic parotitis
Derived forms
mumpish (ˈmumpish)
adjective
Word origin
C16: from mump1 (to grimace)
mumps in American English
(mʌmps)
noun
an acute communicable disease, usually of childhood, caused by a paramyxovirus and characterized by swelling of the salivary glands, esp. the parotid, and, in adults, often complicated by inflammation of the testes, ovaries, etc.
Word origin
pl. of obs. mump, a grimace: prob. from patient's appearance
Examples of 'mumps' in a sentence
mumps
The clinic has been accused of irresponsible behaviour because there is no single vaccine available for mumps, nor has there been one for at least three years.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Word lists with
mumps
Human diseases
In other languages
mumps
British English: mumps /mʌmps/ NOUN
Mumps is a disease usually caught by children. It causes a mild fever and painful swelling of the glands in the neck.