Suppure

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To produce or discharge pus, as an infected wound or abscess does when it fills with thick yellowish matter
2. Of a sore or swelling, to generate purulent matter through infection and inflammation over time
3. To fester and release pus, a term used for wounds that become infected and form thick, yellowish discharge

Etymology: "Suppure" is a verb meaning to form pus, and it comes directly from Latin "suppūrāre," the source of its English form. The Latin verb is built from "sub," meaning "under," and "pūrāre," a verb derived from "pūs," the Latin word for pus. Its underlying sense is therefore a process working beneath the skin, the way a wound gradually fills with matter. The English word is a straightforward borrowing of that Latin verb, with the Latin stem and infinitive ending carried over almost unchanged. Because it is a technical medical term, it has stayed close to its classical form rather than being reshaped by everyday speech, which is why it looks so much like its Latin ancestor today.

Synonyms: suppurate, fester, discharge, ulcerate

Antonyms: heal