Webster's English Dictionary

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measles

mea.sles \'me--z*lz\ n [ME meseles, pl. of mesel measles, spot 
   characteristic of measles;] [ME mesel infested with tapeworms, lit., 
   leprous, fr. OF, fr. ML misel] pl but sing or pl in constr akin to MD masel 
   spot characteristic of measles 1a: an acute contagious viral disease marked 
   by an eruption of distinct red  circular spots 1b: any of various eruptive 
   diseases lus leper, fr. L, wretch, fr. misellus, dim. of miser miserable 2: 
   infestation with or disease caused by larval tapeworms in the muscles an d 
   tissues