n.
Pronunciation: ' r ā -b ē z
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural rabies
Etymology: New Latin, from Latin, madness, from rabere to rave ― more at RAGE
Date: circa 1598
: an acute virus disease of the nervous system of mammals that is caused by a rhabdovirus (species Rabies virus of the genus Lyssavirus ) usually transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal and that is characterized typically by increased salivation, abnormal behavior, and eventual paralysis and death