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pustule

American  
[puhs-chool] / ˈpʌs tʃʊl /

noun

  1. Pathology. a small elevation of the skin containing pus.

  2. any pimplelike or blisterlike swelling or elevation.


pustule British  
/ ˈpʌstjʊlə, ˈpʌstjuːl /

noun

  1. a small inflamed elevated area of skin containing pus

  2. any small distinct spot resembling a pimple or blister

"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

pustule Scientific  
/ pŭscho̅o̅l /
  1. A small inflamed swelling of the skin that is filled with pus.


Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of pustule

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin pūstula, pūsula a pimple, blister; akin to Greek phȳsaléos inflated

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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.

See Examples For:

Each pustule contains live virus, and a ruptured blister can contaminate bed linens and other items, putting close contacts at risk.

From Seattle Times May 26, 2022

BCG often causes a pustule at the injection site that may persist for months, usually resulting in a scar.

From Science Magazine Mar. 23, 2020

Scabies broke out among the inmates, and a golf-ball-size pustule grew on Hossein’s nose.

From The New Yorker Dec. 3, 2018

Hence he was born to perform “Haircut,” a cinder-black vignette of small-town life told by a deceptively cheerful barber who is in truth a walking pustule of malice.

From The Wall Street Journal Jan. 12, 2018

The Clabbert’s most distinctive feature is the large pustule in the middle of its forehead, which turns scarlet and flashes when it senses danger.

From "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" by J.K. Rowling

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