English Explanatory Dictionary

French disease

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Syphilis.

Word forms

French disease

Etymology

The full explanation of why syphilis was called the French disease as a calque across various languages involves a 1495 outbreak involving French soldiers (more in Wikipedia at History of syphilis); but it is also true that this term is one of several that blame othered ethnicities for distasteful and unseemly things.

Synonyms

French pox French gout

Related words

French kissing
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