Meanings
- uncountablemedicineA mild disease caused by the Rubella virus infecting the respiratory tract, and characterised by a rash of pink dots, fever and swollen lymph nodes.
They have congenital rubella syndrome, which they acquired during an outbreak of the rubella virus, or German measles.
2016 September 8, Jessica Ravitz, “Can forgotten rubella children of the ’60s hold clue for Zika babies?”, in CNN1 more example
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.
2002 February 10, Sarah Lyall, “Britain Tries to Quell Fear Over Vaccine for Children”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 14 Feb 2021Synonyms: epidemic roseola, French measles, German measles, Liberty measles, three-day measles, 3-day measles, false measles
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA mild disease caused by the Rubella virus infecting the respiratory tract, and characterised by a rash of pink dots, fever and swollen lymph nodes.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna contagious viral disease that is a milder form of measles lasting three or four days; can be damaging to a fetus during the first trimester
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*h₁rewdʰ-
- Latinrubellus“reddish”
- Englishrubella
From Latin rubellus (“reddish”), diminutive of ruber (“red”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁rewdʰ-.
More words from Latin, Proto-Indo-European
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian рубеола
- рубеола (rubeola)disease caused by the Rubella virus infecting the respiratory tract
Catalan rubèola
- rubèoladisease caused by the Rubella virus infecting the respiratory tract
Chinese Mandarin 風疹 /风疹, 三日麻疹
- 風疹 /风疹 (fēngzhěn)disease caused by the Rubella virus infecting the respiratory tract
- 三日麻疹 (sānrì mázhěn)disease caused by the Rubella virus infecting the respiratory tract
- 德國麻疹 /德国麻疹 (Déguó mázhěn)disease caused by the Rubella virus infecting the respiratory tract
Czech zarděnky
- zarděnkydisease caused by the Rubella virus infecting the respiratory tract
Danish røde hunde
- røde hundedisease caused by the Rubella virus infecting the respiratory tract
Dutch rubella, rodehond
- rubelladisease caused by the Rubella virus infecting the respiratory tract
- rodehonddisease caused by the Rubella virus infecting the respiratory tract
Esperanto rubeolo
- rubeolodisease caused by the Rubella virus infecting the respiratory tract
Finnish vihurirokko
- vihurirokkodisease caused by the Rubella virus infecting the respiratory tract
French rubéole
- rubéoledisease caused by the Rubella virus infecting the respiratory tract
German Röteln
- Rötelndisease caused by the Rubella virus infecting the respiratory tract
Greek ερυθρά
- ερυθρά (erythrá)disease caused by the Rubella virus infecting the respiratory tract
Hebrew אַדֶּמֶת
- אַדֶּמֶת (adémet)disease caused by the Rubella virus infecting the respiratory tract
Hungarian rózsahimlő, rubeola
- rózsahimlődisease caused by the Rubella virus infecting the respiratory tract
- rubeoladisease caused by the Rubella virus infecting the respiratory tract
Indonesian rubela, campak Jerman
- rubeladisease caused by the Rubella virus infecting the respiratory tract
- campak Jermandisease caused by the Rubella virus infecting the respiratory tract
Irish bruitíneach dhearg
- bruitíneach dheargdisease caused by the Rubella virus infecting the respiratory tract
Italian rosolia
- rosoliadisease caused by the Rubella virus infecting the respiratory tract
Japanese 風疹, 三日はしか
- 風疹 (fūshin)disease caused by the Rubella virus infecting the respiratory tract
- 三日はしか (mikka-hashika)disease caused by the Rubella virus infecting the respiratory tract
- 三日ばしか (mikka-bashika)disease caused by the Rubella virus infecting the respiratory tract
Lithuanian raudonukė
- raudonukėdisease caused by the Rubella virus infecting the respiratory tract
Polish różyczka, kur
- różyczkadisease caused by the Rubella virus infecting the respiratory tract
- kurdisease caused by the Rubella virus infecting the respiratory tract
Portuguese rubéola
- rubéoladisease caused by the Rubella virus infecting the respiratory tract
Russian красну́ха
- красну́ха (krasnúxa)disease caused by the Rubella virus infecting the respiratory tract
Slovak ružienka, rubeola
- ružienkadisease caused by the Rubella virus infecting the respiratory tract
- rubeoladisease caused by the Rubella virus infecting the respiratory tract
Spanish rubéola
- rubéoladisease caused by the Rubella virus infecting the respiratory tract
Swedish röda hund
- röda hunddisease caused by the Rubella virus infecting the respiratory tract
Tagalog tigdas-hangin
- tigdas-hangindisease caused by the Rubella virus infecting the respiratory tract
Turkish kızamıkçık
- kızamıkçıkdisease caused by the Rubella virus infecting the respiratory tract
Ukrainian красну́ха
- красну́ха (krasnúxa)disease caused by the Rubella virus infecting the respiratory tract
Welsh brech goch yr Almaen, y frech Almaenig
- brech goch yr Almaendisease caused by the Rubella virus infecting the respiratory tract
- y frech Almaenigdisease caused by the Rubella virus infecting the respiratory tract
- rwbeladisease caused by the Rubella virus infecting the respiratory tract
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with rubella
Anagrams
Cite this entry
rubella. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rubella
“rubella.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rubella. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “rubella,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rubella.
Source: rubella on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.