an acute viral disease affecting the ganglia of certain nerves, characterized by inflammation, pain, and skin eruptions along the course of the affected nerve
Technical names: herpes zoster, zoster
Word origin
C14: from Medieval Latin cingulum girdle, rendering Greek zōnēzone
shingles in American English
(ˈʃɪŋgəlz)
noun
Nontechnical
herpes zoster
Word origin
ME schingles, altered < ML cingulus < L cingulum, a belt, girdle < cingere, to gird (see cinch): used in ML as transl. of Gr zōnē, girdle, shingles
Examples of 'shingles' in a sentence
shingles
The results of applying these dressings to skin previously affected by the shingles rash but still painful has proved highly effective.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The shingles vaccine: who is eligible?
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The new shingles vaccine is given as a one-off dose and is being phased in gradually across the UK.