YAWS


Meaning of YAWS in English

n.

Pronunciation: ' yo ̇ z

Function: noun plural but singular or plural in construction

Etymology: probably from an English-based creole of the Caribbean

Date: 1679

: a contagious tropical disease caused by a spirochete ( Treponema pertenue ) closely resembling the causative agent of syphilis and marked by infectious ulcerative skin lesions with later bone involvement ― called also frambesia

Merriam Webster Collegiate English Dictionary.      Merriam Webster - Энциклопедический словарь английского языка.