social disease

social disease
   a venereal disease
   Mainly 19th-century usage, and as social infection:
    'He has contracted a social disease, which makes it impossible that he marry.' 'You mean he's got a dose of clap?' (Fraser, 1970, writing in 19th-century style)
    ... contracting certain indelicate social infections from — hem, hem — female camp-followers. (Fraser, 1975 — again in 19th-century style)

How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms. . 2014.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • social disease — n 1) VENEREAL DISEASE 2) a disease (as tuberculosis) whose incidence is directly related to social and economic factors …   Medical dictionary

  • social disease — n. any venereal disease …   English World dictionary

  • social disease — social problem, being carried away by something negative; sexually transmitted disease …   English contemporary dictionary

  • social disease — noun Date: 1891 1. venereal disease 2. a disease (as tuberculosis) whose incidence is directly related to social and economic factors …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • social disease — /ˈsoʊʃəl dəziz/ (say sohshuhl duhzeez) noun 1. Colloquial any venereal disease. 2. a disease which is prevalent among members of a particular social group, because factors relating to environment, conditions of work, etc., predispose them to it …  

  • social disease — n. a sexually transmitted disease. □ Many people find things like ah social diseases difficult to discuss in ublic. □ Others talk about private matters like social diseases till you’re sick to death of it …   Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions

  • social disease — noun a communicable infection transmitted by sexual intercourse or genital contact • Syn: ↑venereal disease, ↑VD, ↑venereal infection, ↑Cupid s itch, ↑Cupid s disease, ↑Venus s curse, ↑dose, ↑sexually transmi …   Useful english dictionary

  • social disease — so′cial disease n. pat a venereal disease • Etymology: 1915–20 …   From formal English to slang

  • social disease — a venereal disease. [1915 20] * * * …   Universalium

  • social disease — noun (C) an expression meaning venereal disease, used to avoid saying this directly …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

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