abscess
noun
ab·scess ˈab-ˌses 
plural abscesses ˈab-ˌse-səz
-ˌsēz;
-sə-səz : a localized collection of pus surrounded by inflamed tissue
abscessed
ˈab-ˌsest
adjective an abscessed tooth [=an infected tooth that has caused an abscess in the gum]
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Doctors had downgraded his condition to serious but he was later moved back to critical after a CT scan showed that the concerning fluid in his pelvis is an abscess. 
Laura Rodríguez Presa, Chicago Tribune, 22 July 2022 Melioidosis has a wide range of nonspecific symptoms such as fever, joint pain and headaches and can cause conditions that include pneumonia, abscess formation or blood infections. From Usa Today Network And Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 29 July 2022 But there are some rare cases where surgery might be needed to drain an abscess or deal with any other complications, according to Dr. Voigt. Gabi Thorne, Allure, 25 Apr. 2022 When a clinic in Egypt failed to help his worsening symptoms, Patterson was flown to Germany, where doctors discovered a grapefruit-size abdominal abscess filled with Acinetobacter baumannii, a virulent bacterium resistant to nearly all antibiotics. Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 8 July 2022 Lexington’s blindness had long been considered congenital because his sire had also gone blind, but close study demonstrated that an abscess in his skull robbed him of his vision. Samantha Baskind, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 June 2022 Watching Harriet searching for a euphemistic way to identify the physical affliction (an anal abscess) that is holding up POTUS’s public appearances is heaven on steroids. Marilyn Stasio, Variety, 28 Apr. 2022 For really painful cysts, a dermatologist may recommend injecting the abscess with a steroid to rapidly decrease the pain and swelling. Sara Gaynes Levy, SELF, 17 Feb. 2022 The facilities veterinarians also treated a deep abscess found on one of Margoi's flippers and a mass found on a different flipper. Kelli Bender, PEOPLE.com, 19 Apr. 2022 See More
Laura Rodríguez Presa, Chicago Tribune, 22 July 2022 Melioidosis has a wide range of nonspecific symptoms such as fever, joint pain and headaches and can cause conditions that include pneumonia, abscess formation or blood infections. From Usa Today Network And Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 29 July 2022 But there are some rare cases where surgery might be needed to drain an abscess or deal with any other complications, according to Dr. Voigt. Gabi Thorne, Allure, 25 Apr. 2022 When a clinic in Egypt failed to help his worsening symptoms, Patterson was flown to Germany, where doctors discovered a grapefruit-size abdominal abscess filled with Acinetobacter baumannii, a virulent bacterium resistant to nearly all antibiotics. Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 8 July 2022 Lexington’s blindness had long been considered congenital because his sire had also gone blind, but close study demonstrated that an abscess in his skull robbed him of his vision. Samantha Baskind, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 June 2022 Watching Harriet searching for a euphemistic way to identify the physical affliction (an anal abscess) that is holding up POTUS’s public appearances is heaven on steroids. Marilyn Stasio, Variety, 28 Apr. 2022 For really painful cysts, a dermatologist may recommend injecting the abscess with a steroid to rapidly decrease the pain and swelling. Sara Gaynes Levy, SELF, 17 Feb. 2022 The facilities veterinarians also treated a deep abscess found on one of Margoi's flippers and a mass found on a different flipper. Kelli Bender, PEOPLE.com, 19 Apr. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
borrowed from Latin abscessus "departure, withdrawal, congestion, abscess," from abscēdere "to go away, withdraw, form an abscess" (from abs-, variant of ab- ab- before c- and t- + cēdere "to go, withdraw, move away") + -tus, suffix of verbal nouns — more at cede
First Known Use
1574, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
abscess
noun
ab·scess ˈab-ˌses
: a collection of pus with swollen and red tissue around it
Medical Definition
abscess
noun
ab·scess ˈab-ˌses
plural abscesses ˈab-səs-ˌēz -ˌses-
-ˌses- -əz
: a localized collection of pus surrounded by inflamed tissue