purulent
Americanadjective
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full of, containing, forming, or discharging pus; suppurating.
a purulent sore.
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attended with suppuration.
purulent appendicitis.
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of the nature of or like pus.
purulent matter.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of purulent
1590–1600; < Latin pūrulentus, equivalent to pūr-, stem of pūs pus + -ulentus -ulent
Explanation
Anything purulent is full of pus. Infected sores are often purulent; that's why Band Aids were invented. This is a gross-sounding word with a gross meaning: purulent things are full of pus (pussy). A purulent disease is one that generates a lot of pus, and a purulent sore contains or oozes pus. Other liquids that come from our bodies, like blood and urine, are not purulent. A purulent pimple is discharging pus. Also, this word is sometimes used to mean anything disgusting. A story that makes you feel sick could be called a purulent tale.
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.
At that time, the sore was as wide as a grapefruit and had “copious purulent drainage, foul smell and bleeding,” Dorsey’s lawyers argue.
From Salon ● Sep. 10, 2018
“What came out of Italy – that was so purulent, so disgusting – felt like this wound that we stabbed the finger in and is so sick, that it needs to be healed,” Argento said.
From The Guardian ● Apr. 13, 2018
London has been known as the Great Wen for centuries: not so much a city as a giant purulent infection on the body of languishing England.
From The Guardian ● Jun. 9, 2014
Later in the year she was taken ill with what a doctor diagnosed as purulent appendicitis.
From Time Magazine Archive
In a former paper I have recorded recent observations, where animalcules of a peculiar description were found in the purulent secretion attending various affections.
From Curiosities of Medical Experience by J. G. (John Gideon) Millingen
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