abscess

[ ab-ses ]
See synonyms for: abscessabscessed on Thesaurus.com

nounPathology.
  1. a localized collection of pus in the tissues of the body, often accompanied by swelling and inflammation and frequently caused by bacteria.

Origin of abscess

1
First recorded in 1535–45; from Latin abscessus “departure,” noun use of past participle of abscēdere “to go away, separate off, form an abscess,” from abs- abs- + cēdere “to go, yield” (see cede)

Other words from abscess

  • abscessed, adjective
  • un·ab·scessed, adjective

Words that may be confused with abscess

Words Nearby abscess

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How to use abscess in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for abscess

abscess

/ (ˈæbsɛs, -sɪs) /


noun
  1. a localized collection of pus formed as the product of inflammation and usually caused by bacteria

verb
  1. (intr) to form such a collection of pus

Origin of abscess

1
C16: from Latin abscessus a going away, a throwing off of bad humours, hence an abscess, from abscēdere to go away

Derived forms of abscess

  • abscessed, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for abscess

abscess

[ ăbsĕs′ ]


  1. A localized collection of pus surrounded by infected tissue.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for abscess

abscess

[ (ab-ses) ]


An inflamed area (see inflammation) in the body tissues that is filled with pus.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.