Kissing Disease (Noun)
Meaning
An acute disease characterized by fever and swollen lymph nodes and an abnormal increase of mononuclear leucocytes or monocytes in the bloodstream; not highly contagious; some believe it can be transmitted by kissing.
Classification
Nouns denoting natural processes.
Examples
- Mononucleosis is commonly known as the kissing disease, a name that has contributed to the public's perception of it as an infection spread by kissing.
- Glandular fever, also known as the kissing disease, can be contracted through kissing someone who is infected with the virus.
- She had a mild case of the kissing disease and was only bedridden for a week, after which she was back to normal.
- Some experts say that the term kissing disease is misleading because the Epstein-Barr virus is also spread through saliva, mucus, and other bodily fluids.
- Although he didn't show any symptoms, his doctor confirmed that he had the kissing disease, a common viral infection that can take months to fully recover from.