dengue

noun den·gue \ ˈdeŋ-gē , -ˌgā \

|Updated on: 26 Jul 2018

Definition of dengue

: 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

Recent Examples of dengue from the Web

Mosquitoes, long spreaders of malaria and yellow fever, have more recently spread dengue, Zika and chikungunya viruses, and caused epidemic outbreaks, mainly in U.S. territories.

— joyce sakamoto, Washington Post, "Ticks and mosquitoes are ready to deliver disease in a bite, but you can stop them," 18 June 2018
Mosquitoes can carry diseases like the Zika virus or dengue, but the sprays used to kill them can have a negative effect on things like crops and bees.

— austen erblat, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Royal Palm Beach, Wellington to spray for mosquitoes ahead of Fourth of July," 22 June 2018
In tropical regions, people instead contend with malaria, yellow fever, dengue, chikungunya and Zika viruses.

— heath macmillan, Smithsonian, "Why Some Summers Are So Appealing For Mosquitoes," 22 June 2018
Part of the reason is that diseases in the area — like dengue or Zika — wouldn’t produce concussion-like symptoms as described by the potential victims.

— alex ward, Vox, "What’s happening to US diplomats in Cuba and China? Here are 4 theories.," 8 June 2018
Severe dengue can lead to internal bleeding, shock, and even death.

— helen branswell, STAT, "The vaccine dilemma: How experts weigh benefits for many against risks for a few," 23 Apr. 2018
In the United States, there was limited local spread of dengue and Zika viruses in Florida and Texas.

— lena h. sun, chicagotribune.com, "Diseases spread by ticks, mosquitoes and fleas more than tripled in the U.S.," 2 May 2018
More jet travel from the tropics means that previously obscure viruses like dengue and Zika are moving long distances rapidly in human blood.

— BostonGlobe.com, "Tick and mosquito infections are spreading rapidly, CDC finds," 1 May 2018
On island territories like Puerto Rico, the threat is mosquitoes carrying viruses like dengue and Zika.

— donald g. mcneil jr., New York Times, "Tick and Mosquito Infections Spreading Rapidly, C.D.C. Finds," 1 May 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of dengue

American Spanish

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1828

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

Other Medicine Terms

analgesia, angina, diabetes, hepatitis, homeopathy, logorrhea, palliate, pandemic

Medical Dictionary

dengue

noun den·gue \ ˈdeŋ-gē , -ˌgā \

medical Definition of dengue

: 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