Main Entry: hives

Pronunciation: \ˈhīvz\

Function: noun plural but singular or plural in construction

Etymology: origin unknown

Date: circa 1500

: an allergic disorder marked by raised edematous patches of skin or mucous membrane and usually intense itching and caused by contact with a specific precipitating factor (as a food, drug, or inhalant) either externally or internally —called also urticaria