Home › Words › R › ringwormringworm/ˈɹɪŋˌwɝm/ringworm means A contagious fungal infection of the skin, characterized by ring-shaped discolored patches, covered by vesicles or scales.ringworm is pronounced /ˈɹɪŋˌwɝm/.EtymologyFrom Middle English ringworm (“ringworm; intestinal worm”), from Old English rengwyrm (“maw-worm, intestinal worm”), equivalent to ring + worm.nounA contagious fungal infection of the skin, characterized by ring-shaped discolored patches, covered by vesicles or scales.e.g.“In superficial mycoses infection is localised to the skin, the hair, and the nails. An example is ringworm or tinea, an infection of the skin by a dermatophyte.”Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).