Definition of "rubella" [‖ru•bel•la]

• A mild contagious eruptive disease caused by a virus and capable of producing congenital defects in infants born to mothers infected during the first three months of pregnancy. Also called German measles. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The mumps vaccine is contained in a combination vaccine called MMR (measles, mumps and rubella, which is also known as German measles)."
• "Measles, also called rubella, is a highly contagious - but rare - respiratory infection that's caused by a virus."
• "And other infectious diseases, such as rubella, chickenpox, and Legionnaires 'disease are not uncommon."