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LE

LE

1 8.8
A long-lasting disease that makes the body attack its own skin and joints
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : lupus eritematoso
  • Patients with LE often struggle with fatigue and skin sensitivity.

Examples

  • She learned that LE is an autoimmune disease that can affect various organs.

  • The subjects were 25 LE rats that had been reared by their natural LE mother, eight DI rats that had been reared by their natural DI mother, and ten DI rats that had been reared by a LE foster mother.

    Academic text (1990)
  • The doctor diagnosed her with LE, which causes painful rashes and joint issues.

Synonyms

lupus
vsLE
  • Specialized
35 7.8

A long-lasting disease where the body's defense system attacks its own parts, often causing skin rashes and joint pain

is an abbreviation referring mainly to skin and joint inflammation, not broader organ disease
lupus erythematosus
vsLE
  • Specialized
5.9

A long-term illness in which the body's defence attacks the skin, joints, and other parts

is an abbreviation used for the disease, emphasizing skin and joint involvement

Idioms

le sigh
  • Slang
9.9

A short playful sound showing mild disappointment or tired frustration

Compounds

6.8

A rule that says a balanced chemical system shifts to undo a change and move back toward balance

Le Chatelier's law
  • Specialized
8.1

When a balanced chemical system faces a change, it shifts to partly undo the change

7.4

A chemistry rule saying a balanced reaction changes to oppose a change and reach a new balance

A rule saying a balanced system moves to reduce a change and reach a new balance

Surface Forms

LE singular
LEs plural

Etymology

LE stands for lupus erythematosus. Lupus is a Latin word meaning 'wolf' because doctors long ago thought the skin sores looked like a wolf bite, and erythematosus comes from a word meaning 'red', which explains the red rashes seen in the illness.