whitlow

[hwit-loh, wit-]

noun

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

whitlow

/ ˈwɪtləʊ /

noun

1. any pussy inflammation of the end of a finger or toe

Word History and Origins

Origin of whitlow¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of whitlow¹

C14: changed from whitflaw, from _white + _flaw ¹

Example Sentences

The surgeon was asked if the herpes infection the women developed could have come from a whitlow on his hand - a lesion typically on a finger or thumb caused by the herpes simplex virus.

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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".

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In fact, it is easy to miss this tiny plant’s entire blooming season; by the time most people even consider looking for local spring wildflowers, whitlow grass has come and gone.

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Wildflowers spring to life in fancy clothes: showy golden balsamroot, cobalt and lemon-tinged camas, pearly whitlow grass.

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A small ulcerous swelling, coming suddenly; also, a whitlow.

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