# molluscum contagiosum

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. A viral infection of the skin or (occasionally) mucous membranes, caused by Molluscum contagiosum virus (MCV), a DNA poxvirus.

## Etymology
From Latin inflected forms of molluscus (“soft”), + contagiosus (“contagious”) (from contagio (“contact”)).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/molluscum-contagiosum