whitlow

American

[hwit-loh, wit-] / ˈʰwɪt loʊ, ˈwɪt- /

noun

an inflammation of the deeper tissues of a finger or toe, especially of the terminal phalanx, usually producing suppuration.

whitlow British

/ ˈwɪtləʊ /

noun

any pussy inflammation of the end of a finger or toe

"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

Etymology

Origin of whitlow

1350–1400; Middle English whit ( f ) lowe, whitflawe. See white, flaw ¹

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.

He says it is possible the surgeon may have had a herpetic whitlow - a herpes infection on the finger - which could have "directly seeded the herpes into the abdomen of the women".

From BBC • Nov. 22, 2021

According to the NHS website, the symptoms of a whitlow can vary from a small bump to open lesions - meaning they can go undetected.

From BBC • Nov. 22, 2021

Cellulitis of the forearm is usually a sequel to one of the deeper varieties of whitlow.

From Manual of Surgery Volume First: General Surgery. Sixth Edition. by Thomson, Alexis

She has a whitlow, and it's time to lance it.

From Jo's Boys by Alcott, Louisa May

Cellulitis of the sole of the foot may follow whitlow of the toes.

From Manual of Surgery Volume First: General Surgery. Sixth Edition. by Thomson, Alexis

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023