Ringworm

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɹɪŋˌwɝm/

Definitions

1. A contagious skin disease caused by a fungus, characterized by ring-shaped red patches with clear centers
2. An infection of the skin caused by dermatophyte fungi, producing circular, scaly rashes with raised edges
3. A common fungal infection that appears as round, itchy lesions often with a ring-like appearance on the skin

Etymology: Ringworm is a compound of two plain English words, "ring" and "worm," and its original sense had nothing to do with fungus. Old English "rengwyrm" referred to a maw-worm, meaning a parasitic worm living in the intestines, and the name came from the worm's wriggling, coiled body. The word carried that sense into Middle English, where it still denoted an intestinal worm. The skin condition took the name later, presumably because its circular, raised patches looked like the coils or rings of a worm. The fungal cause was not understood at the time, so people applied the worm name to the rash itself. The modern sense therefore rests on a visual comparison, and the parasite it once named has been left behind.