Scabies
/ˈskeɪbi.iːz/noun
A contagious skin disease caused by mites that burrow into the skin, causing intense itching.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from the same Latin root behind English words like “shabby” and “shiver,” all tied to the idea of roughness, scraping, or being worn down.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*skab-
“to scratch, scrape, or cut”
Latin
Latin
scabies
“itching, mange, or a skin disease causing scratching”
Late Latin
Latin
scabies
“mange, scurf, or a skin eruption”
Middle English
English
scabies
“a skin disease marked by itching”
Modern English
English
scabies
“a contagious itchy skin infestation caused by mites”