erysipelas

[ er-uh-sip-uh-luhs, eer-uh- ]

/ ˌɛr əˈsɪp ə ləs, ˌɪər ə- /

Save This Word!

noun

Pathology. an acute, febrile infectious disease, caused by a specific streptococcus, characterized by diffusely spreading deep-red inflammation of the skin or mucous membranes.

Also called swine erysipelas. Veterinary Pathology. a disease of swine, caused by the organism Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, characterized by urticaria, vegetative endocarditis, arthritis, and sometimes septicemia.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of erysipelas

1350–1400; Middle English erisipila<Latin erysipelas<Greek, equivalent to erysi- (probably akin to erythrós red) + -pelas probably skin (akin to pélma sole of the foot; compare Latin pellis skin)

OTHER WORDS FROM erysipelas

er·y·si·pel·a·tous

[er-uh-si-pel-uh-tuhs, eer-], /ˌɛr ə sɪˈpɛl ə təs, ˌɪər-/, adjectivepseu·do·er·y·si·pel·a·tous, adjective

Words nearby erysipelas

-ery, Erymanthian boar, Erymanthus, eryngium, eryngo, erysipelas, erysipeloid, erysipelothrix, erythema, erythematous, erythorbate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use erysipelas in a sentence

He was threatened with erysipelas, and there was a rather critical inflammation of the left eye.
Checkmate|Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
The small muscles of both his arms were ruptured, and a subsequent attack of erysipelas put his life in jeopardy.
Reminiscences of Charles Bradlaugh|George W. Foote
Simple Erysipelas only affects the surface, with redness and smarting.
An Epitome of Homeopathic Healing Art|B. L. Hill
Should erysipelas develop on a very young baby it is very important that he should be removed at once from the mother.
The Mother and Her Child|William S. Sadler

Erysipelas is a much-dreaded disease which is the result of infection with the blood-poisoning germ—streptococcus.
The Mother and Her Child|William S. Sadler

British Dictionary definitions for erysipelas

erysipelas

/ (ˌɛrɪˈsɪpɪləs) /

noun

an acute streptococcal infectious disease of the skin, characterized by fever, headache, vomiting, and purplish raised lesions, esp on the faceAlso called: Saint Anthony's fire

Derived forms of erysipelas

erysipelatous (ˌɛrɪsɪˈpɛlətəs), adjective

Word Origin for erysipelas

C16: from Latin, from Greek erusipelas, from Greek erusi- red + -pelas skin

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