rubella

noun

Etymology: From Latin rubellus (“reddish”), diminutive of ruber (“red”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁rewdʰ-.

1. A mild disease caused by the Rubella virus infecting the respiratory tract, and characterised by a rash of pink dots, fever and swollen lymph nodes.

   “At issue is the so-called MMR vaccine, which immunizes children against measles, mumps and rubella, three potentially deadly diseases that were once common and have been mostly wiped out.”

   “They have congenital rubella syndrome, which they acquired during an outbreak of the rubella virus, or German measles.”