Definition

Noun: A small, painful blister or cluster of blisters, typically on or around the lips or mouth, caused by an infection with the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). It is also known as a fever blister.

Usage

A "cold sore" is a common, contagious viral infection. It is used to describe the physical lesion itself. - The term is typically used in medical and everyday contexts. - It is a countable noun (e.g., a cold sore, cold sores).

Examples

• Noun:
  • Stress can often trigger a cold sore.
  • She applied a cream to treat the cold sore on her lip.
  • I get cold sores when I have a fever.

Advanced Usage

• "to have a cold sore": to be suffering from an outbreak.
  • He couldn't attend the meeting because he had a cold sore.
• "cold sore outbreak": a period when the blisters are active and visible.
  • She takes medication to prevent cold sore outbreaks.

Variants and Related Words

• Fever blister (n): A synonym for "cold sore."
  • A fever blister is just another name for a cold sore.
• Herpes labialis (n): The medical term for a cold sore.
  • The doctor diagnosed it as herpes labialis.

Synonyms

• Fever blister: An identical synonym.
• Oral herpes lesion: A more clinical description.

Related Phrases

• Cold sore virus: Refers to the herpes simplex virus (HSV-1) that causes the condition.
  • The cold sore virus is very common and stays in the body for life.

Related Idioms

(There are no common idioms specifically centered on the term "cold sore.")

Noun

1. caused by herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1)