Definition of "ringworm" [ring•worm]

• Any of a number of contagious skin diseases caused by several related fungi, characterized by ring-shaped, scaly, itching patches on the skin and generally classified by its location on the body. Also called tinea. (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.

• "Why it is called ringworm is because as it grows bigger, the ones in the middle of the rash die, and forms a ring, thus called ringworm."
• "DESCRIPTION: Athlete's foot is an infection by a form of ringworm, which is not a worm at all but a fungus."
• "Tinea Unguis-Commonly known as ringworm, this condition results in nail deformities and thickening."