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.

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abscess British  

/ ˈæbsɛs, -sɪs /

noun

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

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verb

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

abscess Scientific  

/ ăb′sĕs′ /

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

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abscess Cultural  

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

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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” ( see cede)

Explanation

An abscess is a localized collection of pus surrounded by inflamed tissue. An abscess in a tooth is very painful and is often drained in a process called a root canal. In the presence of bacteria or parasites, infected tissue will sometimes form a cavity where pus collects. This is an abscess, and it's one of the ways our body surrounds an infection and walls it off in an attempt to prevent it from spreading. An abscess can develop anywhere on the body: teeth, brain, tonsils, lungs, etc. An abscess on the skin is also called a boil.

Example Sentences

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

“I feel a lot better now,” said Scott, who hadn’t pitched in the playoffs before having an abscess incision on Oct.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 20, 2025

A three-year-old lioness rescued from war-torn Ukraine has undergone critical dental surgery to remove a severely infected canine tooth caused by an abscess.

From BBC • Oct. 13, 2025

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

From Slate • Nov. 21, 2024

It was like the bursting of an abscess.

From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier

Related Words

• ulcer