molluscum contagiosum
"molluscum-contagiosum" is a 20-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“molluscum contagiosum” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 21
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A viral infection of the skin or (occasionally) mucous membranes, caused by Molluscum contagiosum virus (MCV), a DNA poxvirus.
Corpus desk
Index EN-molluscum-contagiosum · molluscum contagiosum · English
molluscum contagiosum · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-MEGA 21 letters
- VOW-8 8 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "M" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | molluscum contagiosum |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| Letters | 21 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “molluscum contagiosum” in English
Rare enough to double-check
molluscum contagiosum is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A viral infection of the skin or (occasionally) mucous membranes, caused by Molluscum contagiosum virus (MCV), a DNA poxvirus.".
No generated misspelling entries exist for molluscum contagiosum in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin inflected forms of molluscus (“soft”), + contagiosus (“contagious”) (from contagio (“contact”)). The correct English form is molluscum contagiosum, spelled M-O-L-L-U-S-C-U-M- -C-O-N-T-A-G-I-O-S-U-M.
Definition
- 1A viral infection of the skin or (occasionally) mucous membranes, caused by Molluscum contagiosum virus (MCV), a DNA poxvirus.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how molluscum contagiosum appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
The virus causing molluscum contagiosum is a member of the DNA pox family. It is particularly prevalent in underdeveloped countries, and afflicts over 20% of the population in some South Pacific regions. Children are its prime target, but adults can be affected as well.
Molluscum contagiosum is a viral infection caused by the large poxvirus, and, as the name implies, it is spread by direct contact. In older adolescents and adults, it is most often passed by sexual contact.
Etymology
From Latin inflected forms of molluscus (“soft”), + contagiosus (“contagious”) (from contagio (“contact”)).
Synonyms
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.