Definition

Noun: * Cracks or fissures in the skin: Specifically, linear cracks or small tears in the skin, often occurring at the corners of the mouth (angular cheilitis) or around the anus. This term is primarily used in a medical context.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The patient presented with painful rhagades at both corners of the mouth.
  • Chronic inflammation can lead to the formation of rhagades.
  • A symptom of some congenital infections is the presence of rhagades around the nose and mouth.

Advanced Usage

• The term is almost exclusively used in medical literature, dermatology, and clinical descriptions. It is not common in everyday conversation.
• It often implies that the fissures are a result of a chronic condition, infection, or nutritional deficiency, rather than a simple, acute injury.

Variants and Related Words

• Fissure (n): A general term for a long, narrow crack or opening. are a specific type of fissure.
• Cheilosis (n): A condition of the lips characterized by scaling and fissures, which can involve .
• Anal fissure (n): A specific term for a tear in the lining of the anus, which is a type of .

Synonyms

• Fissures
• Cracks
• Fissurations (medical)
• Tears (in the skin)

Antonyms

• Smooth skin
• Intact skin
• Unbroken epidermis

Noun

1. cracks or fissures in the skin (especially around the mouth or anus)