dengue

noun

den·​gue ˈdeŋ-gē 

-ˌgā

: an acute infectious disease caused by a flavivirus (species Dengue virus of the genus Flavivirus), transmitted by aedes mosquitoes, and characterized by headache, severe joint pain, and a rash

called also breakbone fever, dengue fever

Examples of dengue in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Vectors means the insects spread diseases such as West Nile virus, encephalitis, malaria, dengue fever and chikungunya in humans, or heartworm parasites in dogs. —Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 25 May 2025

Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, known for biting ankles, are at the heart of recent unprecedented local transmission of dengue in California. —Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2025

Nearly 50,000 cholera cases and 11,000 cases of dengue were recorded last year alone—the majority affecting children and mothers. —Arick Wierson, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Apr. 2025

Its release comes just as the CDC alerted the public about the rising risk of dengue due to mosquito populations. —Lauren Thomann, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

American Spanish

First Known Use

1828, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

dengue

noun

den·​gue ˈdeŋ-gē  -ˌgā 

: an acute infectious disease that is characterized by headache, severe joint pain, and a rash and that is caused by a single-stranded RNA virus of the genus Flavivirus (species Dengue virus) transmitted by mosquitoes of the genus Aedes

called also breakbone fever, dandy fever, dengue fever