Definition of "leprosy" []

• A chronic, mildly contagious granulomatous disease of tropical and subtropical regions, caused by the bacillus Mycobacterium leprae, characterized by ulcers of the skin, bone, and viscera and leading to loss of sensation, paralysis, gangrene, and deformation. Also called Hansen's disease. (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 sole mention of the word leprosy brought to mind images of what I had seen in the movies and read in the Bible."
• "But in East Timor, and specifically Oe-cusse Enclave, leprosy is not feared as it is in richer, more educated places."
• "I was interested in leprosy, and upon that, as upon every other island subject, Kersdale had encyclopedic knowledge."