HERPES

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does herpes mean? 

• HERPES (noun)
  The noun HERPES has 2 senses:

1. viral diseases causing eruptions of the skin or mucous membrane

2. any of the animal viruses that cause painful blisters on the skin

  Familiarity information: HERPES used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• HERPES (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Viral diseases causing eruptions of the skin or mucous membrane

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Hypernyms ("herpes" is a kind of...):

infectious disease (a disease transmitted only by a specific kind of contact)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "herpes"):

herpes simplex (an infection caused by the herpes simplex virus; affects the skin and nervous system; produces small temporary (but sometimes painful) blisters on the skin and mucous membranes)

herpes zoster; shingles; zoster (eruptions along a nerve path often accompanied by severe neuralgia)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Any of the animal viruses that cause painful blisters on the skin

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Synonyms:

herpes; herpes virus

Hypernyms ("herpes" is a kind of...):

animal virus (an animal pathogen that is a virus)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "herpes"):

herpes simplex; herpes simplex virus (a herpes virus that affects the skin and nervous system)

herpes zoster; herpes zoster virus (a herpes virus that causes shingles)

EBV; Epstein-Barr virus (the herpes virus that causes infectious mononucleosis; associated with specific cancers in Africa and China)

CMV; cytomegalovirus (any of a group of herpes viruses that enlarge epithelial cells and can cause birth defects; can affect humans with impaired immunological systems)

varicella zoster virus (the member of the herpes virus family that is responsible for chickenpox)

 Context examples 

Type 1 herpes virus infects more than half of the U.S. population by the time they reach their 20s.

(Cold Sores, NIH)

An isothiazole derivative of 5-amino-3-methylisothiazolocarboxylic acid I with antiviral activity against human herpes simplex viruse types 1 and 2, and varicella zoster virus.

(Denotivir, NCI Thesaurus)

Docosanol has a distinct mechanism of action and inhibits fusion between the plasma membrane and the herpes simplex virus envelope, thereby preventing viral entry into cells and subsequent viral activity and replication.

(Docosanol, NCI Thesaurus)

A novel helicase-primase inhibitor that is active against varicella-zoster virus and herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2.

(Amenamevir, NCI Thesaurus)

An antiviral agent with activity against herpes simplex viruses and other members of the herpes virus family.

(Phosphonoacetic Acid, NCI Thesaurus)

It also inhibits herpes simplex virus type 2 protein synthesis and viral DNA replication by an unknown mechanism of action.

(Arildone, NCI Thesaurus)

A lesion caused by type 1 or type 2 herpes simplex virus, involving the oralfacial region.

(Cold Sore, NCI Thesaurus)

A substance used to prevent or treat cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex infections that may occur when the body is immunosuppressed.

(Acyclovir, NCI Dictionary)

An RGD-4C-modified, infectivity-enhanced, bicistronic type 5 adenovirus expressing herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-tk) gene, a therapeutic suicide gene, and the somatostatin receptor type 2 (SSTR2) gene with potential antineoplastic activity.

(Ad5.SSTR/TK.RGD, NCI Thesaurus)

A synthetic analog of the purine nucleoside, guanosine, with potent antiviral activity against herpes simplex viruses type 1 and 2, varicella-zoster virus and other viruses of the herpesvirus family.

(Acyclovir, NCI Thesaurus)