Meanings
plural Rocky Mountain spotted fevers
- uncountableusuallyA disease of the Americas characterized by fever and rashes, caused by bacteria of the species Rickettsia rickettsii and transmitted by ticks.
Synonyms: black measles, blue disease
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA disease of the Americas characterized by fever and rashes, caused by bacteria of the species Rickettsia rickettsii and transmitted by ticks.
More synonyms by meaning
nouncaused by rickettsial bacteria and transmitted by wood ticks
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Rocky Mountain refers to the US Rocky Mountains, where the disease was first identified. Spotted fever refers to the rash and the fever that are the most obvious symptoms.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Polish gorączka Gór Skalistych
- gorączka Gór Skalistychviral disease
Portuguese febre maculosa, doença do carrapato
- febre maculosaviral disease
- doença do carrapatoviral disease
Cite this entry
Rocky Mountain spotted fever. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Rocky%20Mountain%20spotted%20fever
“Rocky Mountain spotted fever.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Rocky%20Mountain%20spotted%20fever. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Rocky Mountain spotted fever,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Rocky%20Mountain%20spotted%20fever.
Source: Rocky Mountain spotted fever on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.