lesion
Americannoun
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an injury; hurt; wound.
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Pathology. any localized, abnormal structural change in the body.
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Plant Pathology. any localized, defined area of diseased tissue, as a spot, canker, blister, or scab.
verb (used with object)
noun
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any structural change in a bodily part resulting from injury or disease
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an injury or wound
Etymology
Origin of lesion
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin laesiōn-, stem of laesiō “injury,” from Latin laes(us) “harmed” (past participle of laedere “to harm”) + -iō -ion
Explanation
A lesion is an injury to the living tissue on your body, like your skin or an organ. Usually a lesion involves a break or wound to the skin, so protect it with a bandage so that it heals quickly. Lesion, pronounced "LEE-zhun," comes from the Latin word laesionem meaning "injury." Lesions on the skin are usually not very nice to look at, the kind of wounds that might make you grimace — things like open sores, cuts, deep scrapes or puss-filled gashes. Lesions also are a concern of doctors because if lesions develop without explanation, it can be a sign that your immune system is dangerously weak.
Vocabulary lists containing lesion
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
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Feed
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Psychology
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
After Gary Woodland underwent surgery to remove a brain lesion in 2023, he struggled to regain the level that once made him a major champion.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
He sat directly across from me, fixed me with a professional gaze, and said, “I’ve got the results of your MRI. There’s a lesion on your hip.”
From Slate • Mar. 29, 2026
The Ducks will be without leading scorer Leo Carlsson until after the Olympic break after the center underwent a surgical procedure to treat a lesion in his left thigh Friday.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 16, 2026
When mice with traumatic brain injury received CAQK, their lesion sizes were smaller than those in control mice.
From Science Daily • Dec. 24, 2025
Link had a lesion on his jaw, and I had lesions on my arm and on my side.
From "Feed" by M.T. Anderson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
