eczema

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

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.

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

Related Words for eczema

inflammation, rash, dermatitis, tetter

Examples from the Web for eczema

Historical Examples of eczema

Others say that she has eczema and dare not show her face, while others say she is mad.
The Minister of Evil
William Le Queux
Eczema may be due to constitutional or local causes, or to both.
Essentials of Diseases of the Skin
Henry Weightman Stelwagon
How would you exclude ringworm in a suspected case of eczema?
Essentials of Diseases of the Skin
Henry Weightman Stelwagon
What is to be said about the use of soap and water in eczema?
Essentials of Diseases of the Skin
Henry Weightman Stelwagon
The hemorrhages are absorbed and the eczema heals within a few days.
Scurvy Past and Present
Alfred Fabian Hess

British Dictionary definitions for eczema

eczema

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

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."

eczema in Medicine

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.

eczema in Science

eczema

[ĕk′sə-mə]

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