Phlyctenule

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A tiny raised blister that forms on the clear front surface of the eye, usually as a reaction to an irritant or infection
2. A small vesicle or pustule appearing on the cornea or the conjunctiva, typically linked to tuberculosis or other inflammatory causes
3. A minute eye blister, often painful, that develops on the cornea or conjunctiva and may leave a small scar when it heals

Etymology: In Greek, "phlyktaina" meant a bubble or blister, and it came from "phlyein," meaning to bubble up or boil over. English medicine took that root and added a diminutive ending, so the term describes something like a little blister. The "-ule" ending comes from Latin "-ulus," which marks something small, as in "globule" or "molecule." Phlyctenule is a technical term for a small, raised, blister-like nodule, most often seen on the cornea or the membrane covering the white of the eye. It was built from classical parts for clinical use, not used by the ancient Greeks themselves.

Synonyms: blister, vesicle