lepra
/ˈlɛprə/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: 1.37 in modern English
7
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Any layer of algae, lichens, or other substance producing a leprosylike appearance on the surfaces of plants.
Obsolete; Uncountable
Example Sentences
Etymology
From Latin lepra (“psoriasis & similar skin diseases”), from Koine Greek λέπρα (lépra, “psoriasis & similar skin diseases”), from λεπρός (leprós, “scaly”), from either λεπίς (lepís, “scale”) or λέπος (lépos, “husk, scale”) + -ρος (-ros, suffix forming adjectives). The shift of sense from psoriasis to Hansen's disease occurred in large part from the use of λέπρα (lépra) to translate Hebrew צרעת (“tzaraath”) in the Septuagint and its subsequent use in the New Testament and Late Latin.
Origin
- Source language: Latin
Word Breakdown
- Root: lepra, λέπρα, צרעת
Usage
Derived Forms
Phrases
lepra Arabica
lepra bacillus
lepra cell
lepra colony
lepra Graeca
lepra reaction