cold sore

American  

noun

cold sores plural

1. a vesicular eruption on the face, usually on or near the mouth, often accompanying a cold or a febrile condition; herpes simplex.

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cold sore British  

noun

1. Technical name: herpes labialis.  a cluster of blisters at the margin of the lips that sometimes accompanies the common cold, caused by a viral infection

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• cold sores
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cold sore

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

It can be caused by a number of viruses - including HSV-1, also known as the cold sore virus.

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

I immediately get my refill of L-lysine, and the cold sore goes away.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 7, 2024

The prospect of suffering “post-infective syndrome” after a bout of flu or a cold sore doesn’t send people into a protective bubble, he added.

From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2023

"Pastina is the cure for any cold, sore throat or sniffle," Ali Abene Dahlhaus wrote on Facebook.

From Salon • Jan. 11, 2023

Surrounded by cough medicine and cold sore ointment, he started playing a “gig,” meaning three numbers at once.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides