leprosy

LEP-ruh-see

meaning in plain English

A long-term sickness that damages the skin, nerves, and sometimes other parts of the body, and can spread from one person to another.

Imagine leprosy as a slow‑spreading rash that clings to skin like stubborn mud, reminding you it's a long‑term contagious disease.

for example

When explorers traveled to new lands, they sometimes carried sicknesses like smallpox, measles, stomach bugs, flu, syphilis, and leprosy with them.