Word
dengue
US/ˈdɛnɡ/
UK/dˈɛnɡi/
Definition
n. a serious illness that causes a very high fever, pain in the joints, and sometimes bleeding. It is spread by mosquitoes that bite people who are already sick.
n. a severe, flu-like illness caused by a virus transmitted by mosquitoes of the genus Aedes. Characterised by high fever, headache, and joint pain, with a risk of progressing to a more severe form involving internal bleeding.
Examples
“The doctor confirmed that the patient had dengue.”
“Health officials warned residents to remove standing water from their yards to prevent the spread of dengue.”
“While many people recover from dengue with rest and fluids, the virus can cause life-threatening complications if it progresses to a hemorrhagic form, particularly in those with weakened immune systems.”
Examples
simple
“The doctor confirmed that the patient had dengue.”
contextual
“Health officials warned residents to remove standing water from their yards to prevent the spread of dengue.”
complex
“While many people recover from dengue with rest and fluids, the virus can cause life-threatening complications if it progresses to a hemorrhagic form, particularly in those with weakened immune systems.”
Real-World Examples
“Aedes aegypti , which are normally found in tropical and subtropical regions, can transmit dengue, chikungunya and Zika virus in countries where these infections are circulating.” “This week, the World Health Organization ( WHO ) highlighted how flooding, displacement, overcrowding and stagnant water can increase the risk of communicable diseases such as dengue and scrub typhus.” “They also spread dengue fever, as well as chikungunya , which causes fever and joint pain.” Etymology
From West Indian Spanish dengue in 1828, from the Kiswahili term dinga (in full kidingapopo or kidinga pepo, "a kind of sudden cramp-like seizure caused by an evil spirit", dinga itself meaning sudden cramp-like seizure). The borrowed term changed to dengue in Spanish due to this word existing in Spanish with the meaning "fastidiousness" and the folk etymology referring to the dislike of movement by affected patients of chikungunya which was also reffered to as dengue until the first half of the 20th century.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/dengue