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leprous

adj
/ˈlɛpɹəs/US

Etymology

From Middle English leprous (“having leprosy or a skin disease with symptoms like leprosy; (alchemy) of metals or minerals: impure; a leper”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman leprous, lepros [and other forms], Middle French lepros, lepreux, and Old French leprous, lepros (“having leprosy; a leper”) (modern French lépreux), and from their etymon Late Latin leprosus (“having leprosy; (alchemy) of metals: impure; a leper”), from Latin lepra (“leprosy”) + -ōsus (suffix meaning ‘full of; overly; prone to’ forming adjectives from nouns). Lepra is derived from Ancient Greek λέπρᾱ (léprā, “leprosy”), from λεπῐ́ς (lepĭ́s, “flake, scale; epithelial debris”) (perhaps from λέπω (lépō, “to peel, strip off a husk or rind”) + -ῐς (-ĭs, suffix forming feminine nouns)) + -ᾱ (-ā, suffix forming action nouns from verbs).

  1. derived from λέπρᾱ — “leprosy”
  2. derived from lepra — “leprosy”
  3. derived from leprosus — “having leprosy; (alchemy) of metals: impure; a leper”
  4. derived from leprous
  5. derived from lepros
  6. derived from leprous
  7. inherited from leprous — “having leprosy or a skin disease with symptoms like leprosy; (alchemy) of metals or minerals: impure; a leper”

Definitions

  1. Of or relating to one of the diseases known as leprosy.

    • ‘If they die,’ he said, ‘the cell shall be their tomb. They were put there to die, and be lost. The cell is leprous. Do you understand?’

  2. Infected with one of the diseases known as leprosy.

    • And the Lord said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow.
    • And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.

  3. Similar to leprosy or its symptoms.

  4. ›+ 5 more definitions

    1. Having the appearance of the skin of one infected with leprosy

      Having the appearance of the skin of one infected with leprosy; flaking, peeling, scabby, scurfy.

      • And why, except that it had moved everywhere with them and they regarded it as one of their possessions, had they kept the hatrack, its glass now leprous, most of its hooks broken, its woodwork ugly with painting-over?

    2. Immoral, or corrupted or tainted in some manner

      Immoral, or corrupted or tainted in some manner; also, ostracized, shunned.

      • My whole Life is so leprous, it infects All my Repentance: I wou’d buy your Pardon Though at the highest Set, even with my Life:
      • And ſpeckl'd Vanity / Will ſicken ſoon and die, / And leprous ſin will melt from earthly mould, […]

    3. Of gold or other metals

      Of gold or other metals: contaminated with other substances; impure.

    4. Synonym of leprose (“covered with thin scurfy scales, scaly-looking”).

    5. Causing leprosy or a disease resembling it.

      • Thy vncle came, with iuyce of Hebona, / In a viall, and through the porches of my eares / Did powre the leaprous diſtilment, whoſe effect / Hold ſuch an enmitie with blood of man, […]

The neighborhood

Derived

leprously, leprousness, nonleprous

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for leprous. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA