eczema

[ ek-suh-muh, eg-zuh-, ig-zee- ]

/ ˈɛk sə mə, ˈɛg zə-, ɪgˈzi- /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR eczema ON THESAURUS.COM

noun Pathology.

an inflammatory condition of the skin attended with itching and the exudation of serous matter.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

ecumenicism, ecumenicist, ecumenicity, ecumenics, ecumenism, eczema, eczema herpeticum, eczema marginatum, eczema nummulare, eczema vaccinatum, eczematoid

Origin of eczema

1745–55; < New Latin < Greek ékzema, equivalent to ek- ec- + ze- (stem of zeîn to boil, ferment) + -ma noun suffix

Related formsec·zem·a·tous

[ig-zem-uh-tuh s, -zee-muh-] /ɪgˈzɛm ə təs, -ˈzi mə-/, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for eczema

Among the morbid agencies producing this variety of eczema are the products of indigestion.
The Home Medical Library, Volume II (of VI)|Various
Eczema of the tongue may ensue as a sequel of prolonged cutaneous eczema (De Mussy43).
A System of Practical Medicine By American Authors, Vol. II|Various
How would you exclude psoriasis in a suspected case of eczema (squamous eczema)?
Essentials of Diseases of the Skin|Henry Weightman Stelwagon
Andrews refers to the occurrence of eczema in his description of infantile beriberi.
Scurvy Past and Present|Alfred Fabian Hess

The possibility of the pediculosis being secondary to eczema must not be forgotten.
Essentials of Diseases of the Skin|Henry Weightman Stelwagon

British Dictionary definitions for eczema

eczema

/ (ˈɛksɪmə, ɪɡˈziːmə) /

noun

pathol a skin inflammation with lesions that scale, crust, or ooze a serous fluid, often accompanied by intense itching or burning

Derived Formseczematous (ɛkˈsɛmətəs), adjective

Word Origin for eczema

C18: from New Latin, from Greek ekzema, from ek- out + zein to boil; see yeast

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

Word Origin and History for eczema

eczema

1753, from Greek ekzema, literally "something thrown out by heat," from ekzein "to boil out," from ek "out" (see ex-) + zema "boiling," from zein "to boil," from PIE root *yes- "to boil, foam, bubble" (see yeast). Said to have been the name given by ancient physicians to "any fiery pustule on the skin."

Medicine definitions for eczema

eczema

[ ĕk′sə-mə, ĕg′zə- ]

n.

An acute or chronic noncontagious inflammation of the skin, characterized chiefly by redness, itching, and the outbreak of lesions that may discharge serous matter and become encrusted and scaly.

Science definitions for eczema

eczema

[ ĕk′sə-mə ]

An acute or chronic noncontagious inflammation of the skin, often caused by allergy and characterized by itching, scaling, and blistering.