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Synonyms

abscess

American  
[ab-ses] / ˈæb sɛs /

noun

Pathology.

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

abscess British  
/ ˈæbsɛs, -sɪs /

noun

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

"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

verb

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

"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
abscess Scientific  
/ ăb′sĕs′ /

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

abscess Cultural  

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

Other Word Forms

  • abscessed adjective
  • unabscessed adjective

Etymology

Origin of abscess

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” ( cede )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The family have said Ms Foreman is isolated and surrounded by people who do not speak English, while her husband is "battling an untreated tooth abscess and enduring harsh conditions".

From BBC • Nov. 11, 2025

Alas, we’ll never know what Leni might have achieved as talking pictures staked their claim, for a tooth abscess went septic and killed him at age 44 in 1929.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 28, 2025

You didn’t die of a tooth abscess that turned into sepsis.

From Slate • Nov. 21, 2024

In 2023, the singer revealed that Iron Maiden had helped him pay medical bills for treatment of a lung abscess, saying that he would be “forever grateful for that.”

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 11, 2024

After the doctor took care of the abscess, Adams asked the engineer, “Where are you getting these babies from?”

From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.