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petechia

[ pi-tee-kee-uh, -tek-ee-uh ]
/ pɪˈti ki ə, -ˈtɛk i ə /
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noun, plural pe·te·chi·ae [pi-tee-kee-ee, -tek-ee-ee]. /pɪˈti kiˌi, -ˈtɛk iˌi/. Pathology.
a minute, round, nonraised hemorrhage in the skin or in a mucous or serous membrane.
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Origin of petechia

1575–85; <New Latin <Italian petecchia (in plural) rash, spots on skin <Vulgar Latin *(im)petīcula, equivalent to Latin impetīc-, stem of impetīx, variant of impetīgōimpetigo + -ula-ule
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use petechia in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for petechia

petechia
/ (pɪˈtiːkɪə) /

noun plural -chiae (-kɪˌiː)
a minute discoloured spot on the surface of the skin or mucous membrane, caused by an underlying ruptured blood vessel

Derived forms of petechia

petechial, adjective

Word Origin for petechia

C18: via New Latin from Italian petecchia freckle, of obscure origin
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
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