Meanings
shingles1
- informaluncountablemedicineHerpes zoster, caused by Human herpes virus 3, in genus Varicellovirus.
From the description, Letha felt sure Jane had herpes zoster, or shingles, which often strikes cancer patients or others with depressed immune systems. Jane spent another week in the Bubble, treated with acyclovir.
2005, Donald Hall, The Best Day the Worst Day: Life with Jane Kenyon, Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, →ISBN, page 98Synonyms: herpes zoster
shingles2
- pluralplural of shingle
Synonyms & antonyms
nounHerpes zoster, caused by Human herpes virus 3, in genus Varicellovirus.
More synonyms by meaning
nouneruptions along a nerve path often accompanied by severe neuralgia
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekζώνη
- Latincingulus
- Englishshingles
From Latin cingulus, variant of cingulum (“girdle”), translating Ancient Greek ζώνη (zṓnē), ζωστήρ (zōstḗr).
More words from Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ἕρπης, ζωστήρ
- ἕρπης (hérpēs)herpes zoster
- ζωστήρ (zōstḗr)herpes zoster
Arabic اَلْهِرْبِس اَلْعَصَبِيّ
- اَلْهِرْبِس اَلْعَصَبِيّ (al-hirbis al-ʕaṣabiyy)herpes zoster
Bulgarian херпес
- херпес (herpes)herpes zoster
Catalan foc de Sant Antoni, herpes zòster
- foc de Sant Antoniherpes zoster
- herpes zòsterherpes zoster
- zòsterherpes zoster
Chinese Cantonese 生蛇
- 生蛇 (saang¹ se⁴)herpes zoster
Chinese Mandarin 帶狀皰疹 /带状疱疹
- 帶狀皰疹 /带状疱疹 (dàizhuàng pàozhěn)herpes zoster
Czech pásový opar
- pásový oparherpes zoster
Danish helvedesild
- helvedesildherpes zoster
Dutch gordelroos, zona
- gordelroosherpes zoster
- zonaherpes zoster
Esperanto zostero
- zosteroherpes zoster
Estonian vöötohatis
- vöötohatisherpes zoster
Finnish vyöruusu
- vyöruusuherpes zoster
French zona
- zonaherpes zoster
German Herpes Zoster, Gürtelrose
- Herpes Zosterherpes zoster
- Gürtelroseherpes zoster
Greek έρπης ζωστήρ
- έρπης ζωστήρ (érpis zostír)herpes zoster
Hebrew שלבקת חוגרת
- שלבקת חוגרתherpes zoster
Hungarian övsömör
- övsömörherpes zoster
Icelandic ristill
- ristillherpes zoster
Indonesian cacar api, cacar ular
- cacar apiherpes zoster
- cacar ularherpes zoster
- herpes zosterherpes zoster
- sinanagaherpes zoster
Italian herpes zoster, fuoco di Sant'Antonio
- herpes zosterherpes zoster
- fuoco di Sant'Antonioherpes zoster
Japanese 帯状疱疹
- 帯状疱疹 (taijō hōshin)herpes zoster
Korean 대상포진
- 대상포진 (daesangpojin)herpes zoster
Latin zoster
- zosterherpes zoster
Malay kayap
- kayapherpes zoster
Norwegian Bokmål helvetesild
- helvetesildherpes zoster
Polish półpasiec
- półpasiecherpes zoster
Portuguese zona, herpes-zóster
- zonaherpes zoster
- herpes-zósterherpes zoster
- cobrãoherpes zoster
Romanian zona zoster
- zona zosterherpes zoster
Russian опоя́сывающий лиша́й
- опоя́сывающий лиша́й (opojásyvajuščij lišáj)herpes zoster
Spanish culebrilla, culebrina
- culebrillaherpes zoster
- culebrinaherpes zoster
- herpes zósterherpes zoster
Swahili mkanda wa jeshi
- mkanda wa jeshiherpes zoster
Swedish bältros, helveteseld
- bältrosherpes zoster
- helveteseldherpes zoster
Thai โรคงูสวัด
- โรคงูสวัด (rôhk ngôot-wát)herpes zoster
Turkish zona
- zonaherpes zoster
Vietnamese bệnh zona, giời leo
- bệnh zonaherpes zoster
- giời leoherpes zoster
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
shingles. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shingles
“shingles.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shingles. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “shingles,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shingles.
Source: shingles on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.