syphilis
noun
syph·i·lis
ˈsi-f(ə-)ləs 
: a chronic contagious usually venereal and often congenital disease caused by a spirochete (Treponema pallidum) and if left untreated producing chancres, rashes, and systemic lesions in a clinical course with three stages continued over many years compare primary syphilis, secondary syphilis, tertiary syphilis
Examples of syphilis in a Sentence
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The decades-long study, performed by the U.S. Public Health Service and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, observed the long-term effects of syphilis in hundreds of impoverished Black men between 1932 and 1972.
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Alexa Jurado, Journal Sentinel, 27 Dec. 2022
Cases of congenital syphilis, which occurs when a mother passes on the disease to her baby during pregnancy, spiked 15% from about 1,900 in 2019 to more than 2,100.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 12 Apr. 2022
See all Example Sentences for syphilis 
Alexa Jurado, Journal Sentinel, 27 Dec. 2022
Cases of congenital syphilis, which occurs when a mother passes on the disease to her baby during pregnancy, spiked 15% from about 1,900 in 2019 to more than 2,100.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 12 Apr. 2022
See all Example Sentences for syphilis
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'syphilis.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Syphilis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/syphilis. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
syphilis
noun
syph·i·lis
ˈsif-(ə-)ləs
: a venereal disease that is caused by a spirochete and if left untreated is marked by a series of three stages extending over many years
Medical Definition
syphilis
noun
syph·i·lis
ˈsif-(ə-)ləs
: a chronic contagious usually venereal and often congenital disease that is caused by a spirochete of the genus Treponema (T. pallidum) and if left untreated produces chancres, rashes, and systemic lesions in a clinical course with three stages continued over many years
called also lues
see primary syphilis, secondary syphilis, tertiary syphilisLove words? Need even more definitions?
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