noun

yaws

YAWZ/jɔːz/

A tropical bacterial disease that damages the skin and bones.

Yaws causes skin sores and can damage bones without treatment.

A respectful clinical examination of characteristic yaws-like skin sores: several raised, lobulated, raspberry-like lesions on a woman's shin, with one larger crusted lesion.

Etymology

Carib yaya was already the name of this disease. English adopted that existing name for the tropical skin infection; the supplied evidence gives no further meaning behind it.

More examples

Doctors treat yaws with antibiotics.
Children in warm, humid regions are especially vulnerable to yaws.
Early treatment of yaws helps prevent lasting damage.

Forms

yaws