an acute viral disease characterized by formation of clusters of watery blisters, esp on the margins of the lips and nostrils or on the genitals. It can be sexually transmitted and may recur fitfully
Word origin
New Latin: simple herpes
herpes simplex in American English
(ˈsɪmˌplɛks)
a recurrent, incurable form of herpes usually affecting the mouth, lips, or face (type one) or the genitals (type two):the genital type is a venereal disease