Syphilis
WordNet
noun
(1) A common venereal disease caused by the treponema pallidum spirochete; symptoms change through progressive stages; can be congenital (transmitted through the placenta)
WiktionaryText
Etymology
Modern , originally the title of a poem by Girolamo Fracastoro concerning "Syphilus", the supposed first sufferer of the disease.
Noun
- A disease spread via sexual activity, caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum.