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

See Examples For:

cold sore

While it can cause painful blisters or ulcers that recur over time, it can lay dormant with most people having no symptoms - and Helen never had a cold sore herself.

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