Tetters

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. An old-fashioned name for itchy, scaly skin eruptions such as ringworm or eczema
2. Archaic words for patches of irritated, inflamed skin that break out in rashes or blisters
3. Outdated term for skin disorders that cause itching, scaling, and red, raised eruptions

Etymology: Tetter is an old word for a skin eruption, such as an itchy rash or scab, and its roots lie in the idea of splitting or cracking. It came into Middle English as "teter" from Old English "teter" or "tetr", which go back to a Proto-Germanic form meaning something like a skin that breaks open. Those ancestors trace further to a Proto-Indo-European base meaning "to flay, split, crack", so the word described skin that cracked rather than any particular disease. The plural "tetters" is simply the plural form of this noun, so it refers to several such eruptions. The verb "tetter" is a separate use of the same root, meaning to cover with or affect with these skin eruptions.

Synonyms: eczema, dermatitis