Definition

1. Noun:
   • A localized collection of pus that has built up within the tissue of the body, typically surrounded by an area of inflamed, red, and swollen tissue. It is a symptom of an infection, often caused by bacteria.

Usage and Examples

• Noun:
  • The doctor had to drain the painful abscess on the patient's arm.
  • A dental abscess can cause severe toothache and swelling in the gums.
  • Without treatment, the skin abscess continued to grow in size.

Advanced Usage

• "to form an abscess": This phrase describes the process of an abscess developing.
  • The wound became infected and began to form an abscess.
• "abscess formation": A noun phrase referring to the development or creation of an abscess.
  • Antibiotics are sometimes used to prevent abscess formation.

Variants and Related Words

• Abscessed (adj): Describing a condition where an abscess is present.
  • The dentist treated the abscessed tooth.
• Abscessing (v, gerund): The process of forming an abscess.
  • The wound showed signs of abscessing.

Synonyms

• Boil: A more common term for a skin abscess, often smaller and related to a hair follicle.
• Carbuncle: A cluster of boils, forming a larger, connected area of infection under the skin.
• Pustule: A small, blister-like elevation of the skin containing pus.

Related Medical Terms (Not Phrasal Verbs or Idioms)

• Empyema: A collection of pus in a body cavity, such as the pleural space around the lungs, which is related to but distinct from a tissue abscess.
• Cellulitis: A spreading bacterial skin infection that can sometimes lead to abscess formation but is itself a diffuse inflammation, not a localized pus collection.

Noun

1. symptom consisting of a localized collection of pus surrounded by inflamed tissue