Main Entry:

ra·bies

Pronunciation:

\ˈrā-bēz\

Function:

noun

Inflected Form(s):

plural rabies

Etymology:

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

Date:

circa 1598

: 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