erysipelas

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

/ ˌɛr əˈsɪp ə ləs, ˌɪər ə- /

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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.

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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, erythema ab igne, erythema annulare

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

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

Medical definitions for erysipelas

erysipelas

[ ĕr′ĭ-sĭp′ə-ləs, îr′- ]

An acute disease of the skin and subcutaneous tissue caused by a hemolytic bacterium and marked by localized inflammation and fever.Saint Anthony's fire

Other words from erysipelas

er′y•si•pel′a•tous (-sĭ-pĕl′ə-təs) adj.