Definition

1. Noun:
   • A small, inflamed, pus-filled elevation on the skin: A pustule is a small, raised, often reddened bump on the skin that contains a collection of pus, which is a yellowish-white fluid composed of dead white blood cells, bacteria, and tissue debris. It is a common sign of infection or inflammation.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The doctor diagnosed the small, painful bump as a pustule caused by a bacterial infection.
  • Acne vulgaris often presents with comedones, papules, and pustules on the face and back.

Advanced Usage

• In a medical/clinical context: The term is used precisely to describe a specific type of skin lesion, distinguishing it from vesicles (filled with clear fluid), papules (solid, without pus), or abscesses (larger, deeper collections of pus).
  • The dermatologist noted several pustules and vesicles in the rash, suggesting a possible varicella infection.
• In a figurative/literary context: Rarely, it can be used metaphorically to describe something perceived as ugly, festering, or corrupt.
  • The critic described the corrupt institution as a pustule on the body politic.

Variants and Related Words

• Pustular (adj): Relating to, resembling, or characterized by pustules.
  • The patient had a pustular rash.
• Pustulation (n): The process of forming pustules.

Synonyms

• Pimple (though a pimple can be a papule or a pustule)
• Bleb (a general term for a blister)
• Pock (specifically from diseases like smallpox)

Antonyms

• Clear skin
• Macule (a flat, discolored spot on the skin)

Related Phrases/Idioms

Noun

1. a small inflamed elevation of skin containing pus; a blister filled with pus