Lyme disease

noun

ˈlīm- 

: an acute inflammatory disease that is caused by spirochetes (genus Borrelia, especially B. burgdorferi) transmitted by ticks (genus Ixodes and especially I. scapularis), that is usually characterized initially by a spreading red annular erythematous skin lesion and by fatigue, fever, and chills, and that if left untreated may later manifest itself in joint pain, arthritis, and cardiac and neurological disorders

called also Lyme\ ˈlīm \

Examples of Lyme disease in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Jernigan, former director of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, says members of his staff were invited to a single scientific meeting with Kennedy, which took place in August and focused on Lyme disease. —Dominique Mosbergen, Time, 5 Sep. 2025

In 2020, she was diagnosed with Lyme disease after months of debilitating fatigue, brain fog, and memory loss. —Stephan Rabimov, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025

In California, high season for Lyme disease is late fall to early summer. —Bay Area News Group, Mercury News, 22 Aug. 2025

Deer ticks are infamous for transmitting Lyme disease and can infect people with other pathogens. —Aaron Bolton, NPR, 20 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Lyme, Connecticut, where it was first reported

First Known Use

1979, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for Lyme disease

• actuaries
• analyses
• anopheles
• antitheses
• apostrophes
• catalyses
• distributees
• examinees
• hypotheses
• interviewees
• isosceles
• paralyses

Kids Definition

Lyme disease

noun

ˈlīm- 

: a serious disease that is caused by a bacterium transmitted by some ticks, that is often characterized at first by a spreading red patch on the skin, and that may result in joint pain and disorders of the heart and nervous system if left untreated

Etymology

from Lyme, Connecticut, where the disease was first reported

Medical Definition

Lyme disease

noun

: an acute inflammatory disease that is usually characterized initially by the skin lesion erythema migrans and by fatigue, fever, and chills and if left untreated may later manifest itself in cardiac and neurological disorders, joint pain, and arthritis and that is caused by a spirochete of the genus Borrelia (B. burgdorferi) transmitted by the bite of a tick especially of the genus Ixodes (I. scapularis synonym I. dammini in the eastern and midwestern United States, I. pacificus especially in some parts of the Pacific coastal states of the United States, and I. ricinus in Europe)

called also Lyme, Lyme borreliosis