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abscess

noun

  1. localized collection of pus that has built up within the tissue of the body
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Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /ˈæbsɛs/ / /ˈæbsɪs/

noun

Etymology: Borrowed from Latin abscessus (“a going away; gathering of humors, abscess”), from abscēdō (“go away, depart”), from abs (“away from”) + cēdō (“go”). See cede.

  1. A cavity caused by tissue destruction, usually because of infection, filled with pus and surrounded by inflamed tissue.

verb

Etymology: Borrowed from Latin abscessus (“a going away; gathering of humors, abscess”), from abscēdō (“go away, depart”), from abs (“away from”) + cēdō (“go”). See cede.

  1. To form a pus-filled cavity, typically from an infection.