rabies

noun

ra·bies | \ ˈrā-bēz

plural rabies

Definition of rabies

: an acute virus disease of the nervous system of mammals that is caused by a rhabdovirus (species Rabies virus of the genus Lyssavirus) usually transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal and that is characterized typically by increased salivation, abnormal behavior, and eventual paralysis and death when untreated

Examples of rabies in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The rules: Dogs must stay off furniture, be leashed and under control and wear a rabies tag. — Tatia Woldt, Dallas News, "Dog About Town: Taking your pooch to a play and more things to do," 5 July 2019 When an infected animal bites a human, rabies is transmitted from saliva, through the open wound and into the nerves, where the virus goes to the brain and spinal cord. — Minali Nigam, CNN, "Most rabies infections in the United States come from bats, CDC says," 12 June 2019 The rules: Dogs must stay off furniture, be leashed and under control and wear a rabies tag. — Tatia Woldt, Dallas News, "Dog About Town: Take your pooch to a birthday party this weekend," 21 June 2019 Tuesday’s grand-opening event includes a demonstration by K9 officer Kato, free hot dogs by Hometown Meats, a rabies vaccination clinic and dog-friendly vendors. — Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, "Former polluted land in Inver Grove Heights now a dog park," 10 June 2019 The rules: Dogs must stay off furniture, be leashed and under control and wear a rabies tag. — Dallas News, "Dog About Town: Parties in the park and on the patio and more things to do," 7 June 2019 The easiest way to avoid rabies is to avoid the animals who carry it, Rohde notes. — Tara C. Smith, SELF, "What Happens When You Get Rabies? An Epidemiologist Explains," 24 Jan. 2019 Treatment typically involves checking for tetanus immunization and shots of immune globulin as well as a rabies vaccine. — Alexandria Hein, Fox News, "Georgia boy, 4, treated for rabies after mom shoots raccoon dead in porch attack," 19 Sep. 2018 Earlier this month, the national drug regulator said Changsheng fabricated production records of a rabies vaccine. — Preetika Rana, WSJ, "China’s Latest Consumer Scandal: Unsafe Vaccines," 23 July 2018

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

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Last Updated

10 Jul 2019

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Time Traveler for rabies

The first known use of rabies was circa 1598

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More Definitions for rabies

rabies

noun

English Language Learners Definition of rabies

: a very serious and often fatal disease that affects animals (such as dogs) and that can be passed on to people if an infected animal bites them

See the full definition for rabies in the English Language Learners Dictionary

rabies

noun

ra·bies | \ ˈrā-bēz

Kids Definition of rabies

: a deadly disease of the nervous system that affects animals and can be passed on to people by the bite of an infected animal

rabies

noun

ra·bies | \ ˈrā-bēz

plural rabies

Medical Definition of rabies

: an acute virus disease of the central nervous system of warm-blooded animals that is transmitted in infected saliva usually through the bite of a rabid animal and that is typically characterized by fatigue, headache, fever, and general discomfort progressing to increased salivation, excitability, confusion, muscle weakness and spasms, hallucinations, abnormal behavior, paralysis, coma, and death

Note: Rabies has a long incubation period that averages several weeks but may be as long as several years. Once the symptoms appear, rabies is typically untreatable and fatal. If received soon after the bite of a rabid animal, treatment is usually effective and involves administration of immune globulin and a series of rabies vaccine injections. Rabies is caused by a rhabdovirus (species Rabies virus of the genus Lyssavirus.

— called also hydrophobia