TORCH complex

noun

A set of perinatal infections that can lead to anomalies or fetal loss: toxoplasmosis, other infections, rubella, cytomegalovirus, and herpes simplex virus-2.

Meanings

nounTORCH complex (uncountable)
  1. uncountablemedicineA set of perinatal infections that can lead to anomalies or fetal loss: toxoplasmosis, other infections, rubella, cytomegalovirus, and herpes simplex virus-2.

Origin

Initialism. The TO originally stood for "toxoplasmosis" but is now understood as "toxoplasmosis and other infections".

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

TORCH complex. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/TORCH%20complex

MLA

“TORCH complex.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/TORCH%20complex. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “TORCH complex,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/TORCH%20complex.

Source: TORCH complex on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.