abscess

American  

[ab-ses] / ˈæb sɛs /

noun

Pathology.

• abscesses
  plural

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

Derived Forms

• abscessed
  adjective
• unabscessed
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• abscesses
  plural

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

See Examples For:

abscess abscesses

Aleisha Rochester, 33, a bank cashier from Croydon, south London, died two weeks after undergoing a routine procedure to remove an abscess from her left armpit.

From BBC ● Mar. 11, 2026

ICE officials acknowledged that Ayala-Uribe died at the Victorville hospital while waiting for surgery for an abscess on his buttock.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 22, 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

People turned to stare at us, but I couldn’t stop draining the abscess.

From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson

He said he was taking medication for abscesses in his wisdom teeth when he woke up with "a really strange feeling" in his chest.

From BBC ● May 29, 2024

Perianal fistulae, abnormal connections between the anal canal and perianal skin, are a common complication of Crohn's disease that often result in painful abscesses and impact patients' quality of life.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 24, 2024

And severe untreated decay can lead to broken teeth, abscesses and, in extreme cases, even death.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2023

Penicillin antibiotics, which kill bacteria by preventing them from building a cell wall, are used to treat various illnesses such as pneumonia, meningitis, skin infections and dental abscesses.

From Scientific American ● Oct. 5, 2023

A prison report said, “He does high grade work caring for stock, and is able to do such operations as opening of abscesses and castrating of animals.”

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

Related Words

• ulcer