abscess

[ ab-ses ]

/ ˈæb sɛs /

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See synonyms for: abscess / abscessed on Thesaurus.com

noun Pathology.

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

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Origin of abscess

1535–45; <Latin abscessus a going away, abscess, equivalent to absced-, variant stem of abscēdere to go away, separate off, form an abscess (abs-abs- + cēdere;see cede) + -tus suffix of v. action, with -dt->-ss-

OTHER WORDS FROM abscess

abscessed, adjectiveun·ab·scessed, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH abscess

abscess , obsess

Words nearby abscess

abs, Absalom, Absaroka Range, ABS brake, Abscam, abscess, abscind, abscise, abscisic acid, abscissa, abscission

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use abscess in a sentence

Various scratches and cuts line her arms and face; a pus-filled abscess burns on her right arm.
Hallucinating Away a Heroin Addiction|Abby Haglage|May 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When he finally goes to see a dentist, he learns that he has an abscess: the tooth is rotten, threatening to overtake his jaw.
‘Mad Men’ Returns: A Recap of Season Five|Jace Lacob|April 5, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Rapport, who took the lovers part, had been kept awake all night by an abscess on his finger, and was nearly fainting.
The Life & Letters of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky|Modeste Tchaikovsky
If he has opened his abscess with a bronze lancet and has made him lose his eye, he shall pay money, half his price.
The Oldest Code of Laws in the World|Hammurabi, King of Babylon

The king can be saved by injecting through the ear a remedy which will draw the contents of the abscess through that passage.
Catherine de' Medici|Honore de Balzac
The bulging of the canvas became larger, and was still increasing, like a frightful abscess ready to burst.
Toilers of the Sea|Victor Hugo
The maddest boil, unless it kill you with its torments, does at length burst, and become an abscess.
History Of Friedrich II. of Prussia, Vol. VII. (of XXI.)|Thomas Carlyle

British Dictionary definitions for abscess

abscess

/ (ˈæbsɛs, -sɪs) /

noun

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

verb

(intr) to form such a collection of pus

Derived forms of abscess

abscessed, adjective

Word Origin for abscess

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

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

[ ăb′sĕs′ ]

A localized collection of pus surrounded by infected tissue.

Cultural definitions for abscess

abscess

[ (ab-ses) ]

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

abscess

Origin of abscess

OTHER WORDS FROM abscess

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH abscess

Words nearby abscess

Words related to abscess

How to use abscess in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for abscess

Derived forms of abscess

Word Origin for abscess

Scientific definitions for abscess

Cultural definitions for abscess