C14: from Medieval Latin, from Late Latin scrōfulae swollen glands in the neck, literally: little sows (sows were thought to be particularlyprone to the disease), from Latin scrōfa sow
scrofula in American English
(ˈskrɑfjələ)
noun
tuberculosis of the lymphatic glands, esp. of the neck, characterized by the enlargement of the glands, suppuration, and scar formation
Word origin
ML < L scrofulae, pl., swellings of the neck glands < dim. of scrofa, a sow: prob. from the swollen condition of the glands
Examples of 'scrofula' in a sentence
scrofula
The only difference being that the phanatiques are not afflicted with the scrofula, only with lunacy.
Fidelis Morgan THE RIVAL QUEENS: A COUNTESS ASHBY DE LA ZOUCHE MYSTERY (2002)