cauliflower ear
Noun: A condition where the outer ear becomes permanently swollen, thickened, and misshapen, resembling a cauliflower, due to repeated blunt trauma or injury that causes internal bleeding (hematoma) and subsequent abnormal cartilage repair. This deformity is most commonly associated with combat sports.
The term is used as a countable noun to describe the physical condition or deformity itself. * He developed a cauliflower ear after years of wrestling without proper headgear. * The old boxer's cauliflower ears were a testament to his long career in the ring. * One of the risks in rugby is the potential for a cauliflower ear.
- The term can be used metaphorically to describe something that is rough, battered, or has undergone significant damage, though this is less common.
- The old, weathered sailor had a face and ears like cauliflower ears—tough and reshaped by the elements.
- Perichondrial hematoma: The medical term for the initial blood clot formation in the ear cartilage that, if untreated, leads to cauliflower ear.
- Wrestler's ear: A synonymous informal term, highlighting its common occurrence in wrestling.
- Auricular hematoma: Another medical term for the initial injury.
- Deformed ear
- Boxer's ear (less common)
- Traumatic auricular deformity
- To get/caught a cauliflower ear: To sustain the injury that results in the condition.
- If you don't wear ear guards, you're likely to get a cauliflower ear.
- To drain a cauliflower ear: Refers to the medical procedure of aspirating the fluid from the hematoma to prevent the deformity.
- The doctor had to drain the cauliflower ear immediately after the match.
This term is almost exclusively used in the context of sports medicine, martial arts, and activities with a high risk of ear trauma. It is a very specific physical descriptor and not typically used in idiomatic expressions.
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an auricle deformed by injury; common among boxers
