leprosy
/ˈleprəsɪ/noun
mass noun
1
- a contagious disease that affects the skin, mucous membranes, and nerves, causing discoloration and lumps on the skin and, in severe cases, disfigurement and deformities. Leprosy is now mainly confined to tropical Africa and Asia.麻风病。 亦称 HANSEN'S DISEASE.
1.1
- Leprosy is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae, which is Gram-positive, non-motile, and acid-fast.麻风病由麻风杆菌引起, 细菌呈革兰氏阳性, 无游走性, 能耐酸。
2
- moral corruption or contagion道德败坏; 歪风邪气。
词源
mid 16th cent. （superseding Middle English lepry）： from LEPROUS + -Y3 .