Molluscum

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A viral skin infection characterized by small, raised bumps that may be pink or flesh-colored, often seen in children and can cause itching
2. A contagious skin condition caused by a poxvirus, manifesting as painless, dome-shaped lesions that can spread through direct contact
3. A dermatological ailment caused by the molluscum contagiosum virus, presenting with benign growths that may resolve spontaneously but can persist for months

Etymology: Molluscum comes from Latin "molluscum," a noun formed from "mollis," meaning "soft." The Latin term was used by medical writers for a soft, swollen growth on the skin, and it is that old sense of softness that English inherited. The name fits the lesions well: they are firm-looking bumps with a soft, dimpled centre rather than anything hard or painful. The word is related to "mollusc," the name for soft-bodied animals such as snails and clams, which comes from the same Latin root. The shared ancestor is "mollis," so the two terms are cousins that point to softness rather than to any link between the skin condition and the animals.

Synonyms: mollusc