scrofula

/'skrɔfjulə/

Thân thiện

A doctor examines a patient's neck for signs of scrofula.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A form of tuberculosis: A specific disease, historically common, characterized by the swelling and inflammation of the lymph nodes, particularly those in the neck. It is caused by a bacterial infection, specifically Mycobacterium tuberculosis or related mycobacteria.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • In the 19th century, scrofula was a common and disfiguring ailment.
  • The king was believed to have the divine power to cure scrofula by his touch.

Advanced Usage

• "The King's Evil": A historical term for scrofula, stemming from the medieval belief that a monarch's touch could cure the disease.
  • Ceremonies for touching subjects to cure the King's Evil were practiced for centuries.

Variants and Related Words

• Scrofulous (adj): Pertaining to, affected by, or resembling scrofula. It can also describe a morally corrupt or degenerate condition in a figurative sense.
  • The patient had a scrofulous swelling on his neck.
  • (Figurative) The novel depicted the scrofulous underbelly of the city.

Synonyms

• Tuberculous lymphadenitis: The modern medical term.
• The King's Evil: The historical name.

Related Idioms

• None directly associated: There are no common idioms in modern English that use the word "scrofula" itself. Its historical synonym, "the King's Evil," is a fixed phrase.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a form of tuberculosis characterized by swellings of the lymphatic glands

Từ đồng nghĩa

• struma
• king's evil