abscess

noun
UK: /ˈæb.ses/
US: /ˈæb.ses/

  1. A painful, swollen area on or inside the body that contains pus.

    1. He had an abscess on his gum, so he went to the dentist now. [ ] [ ]
    2. The doctor lanced the abscess to drain the pus and relieve the pressure effectively. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

inflammation ulcer pustule boil
abscess intransitive-verb

  1. To develop an abscess.

    1. His tooth abscessed, and it hurt. [ ] [ ]
    2. The wound abscessed after days, indicating a severe underlying infection issue. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The phonetic transcription of "abscess" is /ˈæb.ses/ in British English and /ˈæb.ses/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "abscess": inflammation, ulcer, pustule, boil.

Example usage of "abscess": "He had an abscess on his gum, so he went to the dentist now.". More examples on the page.