roseola

noun

ro·​se·​o·​la ˌrō-zē-ˈō-lə How to pronounce roseola (audio) rō-ˈzē-ə-lə How to pronounce roseola (audio)
: a rose-colored eruption in spots or a disease marked by such an eruption
especially : roseola infantum
roseolar
ˌrō-zē-ˈō-lər How to pronounce roseola (audio)
rō-ˈzē-ə-lər
adjective

Examples of roseola in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Typically, a child with roseola will be crankier when the rash appears than during the fever. Parents Editors, Parents, 3 Sep. 2023 Not a roseola, not a pink eye or a rotavirus, not a hand, foot or mouth disease. Georgia Garvey, chicagotribune.com, 7 Dec. 2020 Those herpes strains, which cause a mild childhood disease called roseola, are found in 90 percent of children in the United States and usually go dormant in childhood, but can reactivate in times of illness or stress. Jason Daley, Smithsonian, 23 June 2018 The treatment for both coxsackie virus and roseola are typically the same - keep your child hydrated, manage the fever with Tylenol or Motrin, and watchful rest. Gabriela Moraru, M.d., miamiherald, 1 May 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'roseola.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin roseus "rose-colored, reddish" + New Latin -ola (in rubeola, variola) — more at roseate

Note: The term roseola was apparently introduced by the English physician and dermatological pioneer Robert Willan (1757-1812). The Oxford English Dictionary, third edition, refers it to his Description and treatment of cutaneous diseases. Order 3, Rashes (London, 1805), without citation of a page number. The word occurs earlier, however, in "List of Diseases from the 20th of July to the 20th of August: being the Result of the Public and Private Practice of a Physician at the West End of the Town" (signed with the initials "R.W."), The Medical and Physical Journal, No. 7, Vol. 2 (September, 1799), p. 112.

First Known Use

1807, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of roseola was in 1807

Dictionary Entries Near roseola

Cite this Entry

“Roseola.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/roseola. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

roseola

noun
ro·​se·​o·​la ˌrō-zē-ˈō-lə How to pronounce roseola (audio) rō-ˈzē-ə-lə How to pronounce roseola (audio)
: a rose-colored eruption in spots or a disease marked by such an eruption
especially : roseola infantum
roseolar adjective
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