Supurates

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To produce pus as a result of infection or inflammation
2. to undergo a process where a wound becomes infected, resulting in the accumulation of purulent material
3. to manifest as or cause the formation of a thick, yellowish fluid within a healing area of the body

Etymology: The correct spelling is "suppurates." It comes from Latin "suppurare," built from "sub," meaning "under," and "pus," the thick fluid of an infection. The literal sense is to form pus beneath the surface, which is what happens when a wound festers from within rather than draining openly. The Latin noun "pus" is possibly related to an old root meaning "to rot," and its Greek relative "pyon" gave English the medical term "pyogenic," meaning pus-producing. For centuries, physicians regarded pus in a healing wound as a good sign and called it "laudable pus."

Synonyms: festers, secretes, oozes, drains, exudes

Antonyms: heals, closes, cures