Definition

1. Noun:
   • A sore on the skin or a mucous membrane: An open sore that forms on the skin or on the lining of internal organs, often slow to heal and sometimes accompanied by the disintegration of tissue.

Usage

• The word "ulcer" is a countable noun. It is used to describe a specific type of wound or lesion.
• It is commonly modified by adjectives indicating location (e.g., , ) or type (e.g., , ).

Examples

• Noun:
  • The patient was diagnosed with a painful stomach ulcer.
  • Canker sores are a common type of mouth ulcer.
  • Poor circulation can lead to the development of leg ulcers.

Advanced Usage

• "to develop an ulcer": to begin to have an ulcer, often used figuratively to imply extreme stress.
  • The constant stress of the job made him feel like he was going to develop an ulcer.
• "ulcerative" (adjective): relating to or characterized by ulcers.
  • She suffers from ulcerative colitis, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease.

Variants and Related Words

• Ulcerate (verb): to become affected with or develop an ulcer.
  • If left untreated, the wound may ulcerate.
• Ulceration (noun): the process of forming an ulcer or the state of being ulcerated.
  • The doctor examined the area of ulceration on the patient's leg.

Synonyms

• Sore: A raw or painful place on the body.
• Lesion: A region in an organ or tissue that has suffered damage.
• Abscess: A swollen area within body tissue containing pus.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

(Note: "Ulcer" is a noun and does not form standard phrasal verbs. The related verb "ulcerate" is not typically used with particles to form phrasal verbs.)

Related Idioms

• An ulcer in the making: A situation or thing that is likely to cause extreme stress or health problems.
  • That high-pressure project is an ulcer in the making for the entire team.

Noun

1. a circumscribed inflammatory and often suppurating lesion on the skin or an internal mucous surface resulting in necrosis of tissue