Main Entry: yaws

Pronunciation: \ˈyȯz\

Function: noun plural but singular or plural in construction

: an infectious contagious tropical disease that is caused by a spirochete of the genus Treponema (T. pertenue) and that is characterized by a primary ulcerating lesion on the skin followed by a secondary stage in which ulcers develop all over the body and by a third stage in which the bones are involved—called also frambesia, pian