Dictionary.com
definitions
  • synonyms

eczema

[ek-suh-muh, eg-zuh-, ig-zee-]
See more synonyms for eczema on Thesaurus.com
noun Pathology.
  1. an inflammatory condition of the skin attended with itching and the exudation of serous matter.
Show More

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. 2018

Related Words

inflammationrashdermatitistetter

Examples from the Web for eczema

Historical Examples

  • 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
  1. pathol a skin inflammation with lesions that scale, crust, or ooze a serous fluid, often accompanied by intense itching or burning
Show More
Derived Formseczematous (ɛkˈsɛmətəs), adjective

Word Origin

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

n.

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."

Show More
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
eczema in Medicine

eczema

(ĕk′sə-mə, ĕg′zə-)
n.
  1. 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.
Show More
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
eczema in Science

eczema

[ĕk′sə-mə]
  1. An acute or chronic noncontagious inflammation of the skin, often caused by allergy and characterized by itching, scaling, and blistering.
Show More
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.