bluetongue

B3L1U1E1T1O1N1G2U1E1

noun

A disease of ruminants, caused by Bluetongue virus of the genus Orbivirus, carried by mosquitos, midges etc.

Similar
catarrhal fever
UncommonFirst used 19th c.Scrabble 13
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Meanings

nounbluetongue (countable and uncountable, plural bluetongues)

plural bluetongues · alternative blue-tongue

  1. uncountableA disease of ruminants, caused by Bluetongue virus of the genus Orbivirus, carried by mosquitos, midges etc.First known use 19th c.

    Synonyms: catarrhal fever

  2. AustraliacountableThe blue-tongue lizard.First known use 19th c.

    “I don't worry about snakes, blue-tongues, spiders. All I worry about is the mutton-bird.”

    2004, Nicholas Shakespeare, In Tasmania, Harvill Press, p. 191
  3. AustraliaNew ZealandcolloquialcountableSomeone who is as sleepy as a lizard; a lazy person.First known use 20th c.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA disease of ruminants, caused by Bluetongue virus of the genus Orbivirus, carried by mosquitos, midges etc.

Similar
catarrhal fever
Also see
dikkopmalarial catarrhal fever

Origin

From blue + tongue.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic مَرَض اَللِّسَان اَلْأَزْرَق
  • مَرَض اَللِّسَان اَلْأَزْرَق (maraḍ al-lisān al-ʔazraq)disease of ruminants
Chinese Mandarin 藍舌病 /蓝舌病
  • 藍舌病 /蓝舌病 (lánshébìng)disease of ruminants
Dutch blauwtong
  • blauwtongdisease of ruminants
French fièvre catarrhale, maladie de la langue bleue
  • fièvre catarrhaledisease of ruminants
  • maladie de la langue bleuedisease of ruminants
German Blauzungenkrankheit
  • Blauzungenkrankheitdisease of ruminants
Italian lingua blu
  • lingua bludisease of ruminants
Japanese ブルータング
  • ブルータング (burūtangu)disease of ruminants
Korean 청설병
  • 청설병 (cheongseolbyeong)disease of ruminants
Polish choroba niebieskiego języka
  • choroba niebieskiego językadisease of ruminants
Portuguese febre catarral, língua azul
  • febre catarraldisease of ruminants
  • língua azuldisease of ruminants
Russian катара́льная лихора́дка
  • катара́льная лихора́дка (katarálʹnaja lixorádka)disease of ruminants
Spanish lengua azul
  • lengua azuldisease of ruminants
Cite this entry
APA

bluetongue. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bluetongue

MLA

“bluetongue.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bluetongue. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bluetongue,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bluetongue.

Source: bluetongue on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.