Abscess

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈæbsɛs/

Definitions

1. A painful swelling resulting from a localized infection can occur within tissue and leads to a collection of pus that causes significant discomfort
2. When tissue becomes infected, it can develop a swollen area filled with pus, resulting in pain and inflammation
3. A localized infection can lead to a painful swelling filled with pus, forming a collection that indicates tissue damage and inflammation

Etymology: The Latin "abscessus" meant "a going away," and it was used of a gathering of humours in the body, a sense that gave English its medical word. Its source verb, "abscēdō," combined "abs," meaning "away from," with "cēdō," meaning "go," so the literal idea behind a boil is something that has departed or moved away from its normal place in the body. The English word is borrowed directly from that Latin noun, so it entered the language as a learned medical term rather than through everyday speech. The Latin "cēdō" also gave English "cede," which shares the sense of going away or yielding ground, though the two words came into English by different routes.

Synonyms: sore, infection, pus-filled cavity, boil, pustule