1 rabies | Definition of rabies
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rabies

noun
ra·​bies | \ ˈrā-bēz How to pronounce rabies (audio) \
plural rabies

Definition of rabies

: an acute virus disease of the nervous system of mammals that is caused by a rhabdovirus (species Rabies virus of the genus Lyssavirus) usually transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal and that is characterized typically by increased salivation, abnormal behavior, and eventual paralysis and death when untreated

Examples of rabies in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

 In order to vacation in Europe now, British pets need a passport, a rabies vaccine and a microchip. — Natasha Livingstone, USA TODAY, "Traveling with pets in Europe: No-deal Brexit would make crossing borders much tougher," 28 Aug. 2019 The Fairfax County, Virginia, public health department said the county does not administer rabies vaccines at its clinics. — Caitlin Hillyard, CNN, "Don't pet the cat: My rabies education and the big bill that followed," 16 Aug. 2019 Organizationally, the path to stopping rabies is well understood. — James Gorman, New York Times, "Rabies Kills Tens of Thousands Yearly. Vaccinating Dogs Could Stop It.," 22 July 2019 The rules: Dogs must stay off furniture, be leashed and under control and wear a rabies tag. — Tatia Woldt, Dallas News, "Dog About Town: A dating app’s launch, a pool party and more things to do," 2 Aug. 2019 The 40-year-old woman who owns the dog was issued a citation for a dog at large as well as a citation for failure to provide a current rabies vaccination tag. — chicagotribune.com, "Woman cited after Chihuahua bites child: Buffalo Grove police," 29 July 2019 The rules: Dogs must stay off furniture, be leashed and under control and wear a rabies tag. — Tatia Woldt, Dallas News, "Dog About Town: Splashing, shopping and more things to do," 19 July 2019 The Florida Department of Health in Orange County has issued a 60-day rabies warning at Walt Disney World Resort in response to reports that a rabid cat had been found in the area. — Charles Trepany, USA TODAY, "Rabies alert issued for Disney's Epcot Center after infected cat scratches performers," 11 July 2019 The rules: Dogs must stay off furniture, be leashed and under control and wear a rabies tag. — Tatia Woldt, Dallas News, "Dog About Town: Taking your pooch to a play and more things to do," 5 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rabies.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of rabies

circa 1598, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for rabies

New Latin, from Latin, madness, from rabere to rave — more at rage

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More Definitions for rabies

rabies

noun
How to pronounce rabies (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of rabies

: a very serious and often fatal disease that affects animals (such as dogs) and that can be passed on to people if an infected animal bites them

See the full definition for rabies in the English Language Learners Dictionary

rabies

noun
ra·​bies | \ ˈrā-bēz How to pronounce rabies (audio) \

Kids Definition of rabies

: a deadly disease of the nervous system that affects animals and can be passed on to people by the bite of an infected animal

rabies

noun
ra·​bies | \ ˈrā-bēz How to pronounce rabies (audio) \
plural rabies

Medical Definition of rabies

: an acute virus disease of the central nervous system of warm-blooded animals that is transmitted in infected saliva usually through the bite of a rabid animal and that is typically characterized by fatigue, headache, fever, and general discomfort progressing to increased salivation, excitability, confusion, muscle weakness and spasms, hallucinations, abnormal behavior, paralysis, coma, and death

Note: Rabies has a long incubation period that averages several weeks but may be as long as several years. Once the symptoms appear, rabies is typically untreatable and fatal. If received soon after the bite of a rabid animal, treatment is usually effective and involves administration of immune globulin and a series of rabies vaccine injections. Rabies is caused by a rhabdovirus (species Rabies virus of the genus Lyssavirus.

— called also hydrophobia

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More from Merriam-Webster on rabies

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with rabies

Spanish Central: Translation of rabies

Nglish: Translation of rabies for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of rabies for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about rabies

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