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# varicella

noun (varicella, uncountable)

«varicella» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (medicine) The proper medical name for chickenpox, a common illness that gives an itchy rash of spots and blisters, mostly in children. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/varicella/#m1)
2. (medicine) The virus that causes it, called the varicella-zoster virus. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/varicella/#m2)

### In the lessons

You will mostly hear "chickenpox" in everyday life; doctors, nurses and vaccine leaflets use "varicella". It spreads easily from person to person. Many children are given a varicella vaccine, which helps protect them. The same virus can wake up years later in an adult and cause shingles (herpes zoster). Phrases: "varicella vaccine", "varicella-zoster virus".

### Examples

- Varicella is the doctor's word for chickenpox. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/varicella/#x1)
- The leaflet said the varicella vaccine protects children from chickenpox. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/varicella/#x2)
- My little brother had varicella and was covered in itchy spots. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/varicella/#x3)
- The nurse wrote "varicella" on the school note. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/varicella/#x4)
- Varicella spreads easily, so children stay home until the spots crust over. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/varicella/#x5)
- The varicella virus can return years later as shingles. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/varicella/#x6)

### Note

Uncountable: say "varicella", not "a varicella". Pronounced VARR-ih-SELL-uh. It has nothing to do with chickens: the name "chickenpox" is old and its origin is not certain. Do not scratch the spots, as they can scar. A doctor, not a pupil, decides if someone has it.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «varicella» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/varicella/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«varicella» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/varicella.html) on Mova free.