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noun Uncommon

Lyme

Lyme (noun) means Short for Lyme disease, a tick-borne bacterial infection that can cause fever, rash, and joint pain. Example: “After finding a tick bite and a bullseye rash, she went straight to the doctor to test for Lyme.”

noun
1
Short for Lyme disease, a tick-borne bacterial infection that can cause fever, rash, and joint pain.
"After finding a tick bite and a bullseye rash, she went straight to the doctor to test for Lyme."
name
1
Any of several towns in England and the United States, all ultimately named after Lyme Regis in Dorset, England.
"Old Lyme, Connecticut, is a quiet New England town known for its art colony."

How to use Lyme

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishMost commonly short for "Lyme disease," an illness spread by tick bites.

Common pairings
Lyme disease test for Lyme

Word forms

lymed past tense, lymes singular

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Test yourself on “Lyme” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

After finding a tick bite and a bullseye rash, she went straight to the doctor to test for _____.

Etymology

The disease is named after Lyme, Connecticut, where it was first identified in the 1970s; the town names themselves trace back to Lyme Regis in Dorset, England.

· First attested 1970

Class of 1970 Lyme joined the language around 1970.
See the full Class of 1970 →

Rhymes for Lyme

See all rhymes for Lyme →

Frequently asked questions

What does “Lyme” mean?

The word “Lyme” means short for Lyme disease, a tick-borne bacterial infection that can cause fever, rash, and joint pain. In plain terms, most commonly short for "Lyme disease," an illness spread by tick bites.

How do you use “Lyme” in a sentence?

Here is “Lyme” used in a sentence: “After finding a tick bite and a bullseye rash, she went straight to the doctor to test for Lyme.”

What part of speech is “Lyme”?

Depending on how it is used, “Lyme” can be a noun and a name.

Where does the word “Lyme” come from?

The word “Lyme” dates back to around 1970. The disease is named after Lyme, Connecticut, where it was first identified in the 1970s; the town names themselves trace back to Lyme Regis in Dorset, England.

Is “Lyme” a common word?

“Lyme” is an uncommon word in modern English.

How many meanings does “Lyme” have?

“Lyme” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: short for Lyme disease, a tick-borne bacterial infection that can cause fever, rash, and joint pain.

Definitions: FreeDict original editorial