myxomatosis

noun

myx·​o·​ma·​to·​sis mik-ˌsō-mə-ˈtō-səs How to pronounce myxomatosis (audio)
: a condition characterized by the presence of myxomas in the body
specifically : a severe virus disease of rabbits that is caused by a poxvirus (species Myxoma virus of the genus Leporipoxvirus) and transmitted by mosquitoes, biting flies, and direct contact and that has been used in the biological control of rabbits especially in Australia

Examples of myxomatosis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
When Britain's rabbits died of myxomatosis in the 1950s and farmers simultaneously stopped grazing cattle, the grass got longer, the ground got cooler, the ants left, and the butterflies became endangered. Discover Magazine, 29 June 2010 The first virus ever deliberately used to eradicate a wild-animal population was myxoma virus, which causes myxomatosis, a disease fatal to domestic rabbits. Susan Orlean, The New Yorker, 29 June 2020 Eventually, a myxomatosis vaccine was developed, and the disease was more or less brought under control. Susan Orlean, The New Yorker, 29 June 2020 These rabbits never develop the skin tumors or any of the classic symptoms of myxomatosis. Ed Yong, The Atlantic, 14 Aug. 2017

Word History

Etymology

myxomat-, Greco-Latin stem of myxoma + -osis, as translation of German Myxomkrankheit

First Known Use

1927, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of myxomatosis was in 1927

Dictionary Entries Near myxomatosis

Cite this Entry

“Myxomatosis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/myxomatosis. Accessed 7 Dec. 2024.

Medical Definition

myxomatosis

noun
myx·​o·​ma·​to·​sis mik-ˌsō-mə-ˈtō-səs How to pronounce myxomatosis (audio)
plural myxomatoses -ˌsēz How to pronounce myxomatosis (audio)
: a condition characterized by the presence of myxomas in the body
specifically : a severe virus disease of rabbits that is caused by a poxvirus (species Myxoma virus of the genus Leporipoxvirus), is transmitted by mosquitoes, biting flies, and direct contact, and has been used in the biological control of wild rabbit populations

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