plural rabies
: an acute virus disease of the nervous system of mammals that is caused by a rhabdovirus (species Rabies virus of the genus Lyssavirus) usually transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal and that is characterized typically by increased salivation, abnormal behavior, and eventual paralysis and death when untreated
Examples of rabies in a Sentence
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Nancy adds that her family didn't know that the community was dropping the rabies baits, and didn't receive any mailers about the drop.
—
Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025
After a rabies exposure, people should seek immediate preventative medical care, known as post-exposure prophylaxis, which involves thoroughly cleaning the wound and receiving a rabies vaccination.
—Shiv Sudhakar, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2025
The owner of the attacking dog showed police documentation for rabies.
—cleveland, 20 Jan. 2023
The same year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention temporarily suspended the importation of dogs from countries with a high risk of rabies.
—Andrea Sachs, Anchorage Daily News, 18 Jan. 2023
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Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025
After a rabies exposure, people should seek immediate preventative medical care, known as post-exposure prophylaxis, which involves thoroughly cleaning the wound and receiving a rabies vaccination.
—Shiv Sudhakar, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2025
The owner of the attacking dog showed police documentation for rabies.
—cleveland, 20 Jan. 2023
The same year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention temporarily suspended the importation of dogs from countries with a high risk of rabies.
—Andrea Sachs, Anchorage Daily News, 18 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for rabies
Cite this Entry
“Rabies.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rabies. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rabies
noun
ra·bies
ˈrā-bēz 
: a disease of the nervous system of mammals that is caused by a virus usually passed on by the bite of an animal already infected with it and is always deadly if untreated
Medical Definition
rabies
noun
ra·bies
ˈrā-bēz
plural rabies
: an acute virus disease of the central nervous system of warm-blooded animals that is transmitted in infected saliva usually through the bite of a rabid animal and that is typically characterized by fatigue, headache, fever, and general discomfort progressing to increased salivation, excitability, confusion, muscle weakness and spasms, hallucinations, abnormal behavior, paralysis, coma, and death
Note: Rabies has a long incubation period that averages several weeks but may be as long as several years. Once the symptoms appear, rabies is typically untreatable and fatal. If received soon after the bite of a rabid animal, treatment is usually effective and involves administration of immune globulin and a series of rabies vaccine injections. Rabies is caused by a rhabdovirus (species Rabies virus of the genus Lyssavirus).
called also hydrophobia
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