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Added 9 October 2026

abscess

/ˈæbsɛs/ noun

In Latin: vomica Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about abscess at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A cavity caused by tissue destruction, usually because of infection, filled with pus and surrounded by inflamed tissue. .mw-parser-output .defdate{font-size:smaller}

verb

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

Origin

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

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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