ulcer
noun
ul·cer ˈəl-sər 
1
: a break in skin or mucous membrane with loss of surface tissue, disintegration and necrosis of epithelial tissue, and often pus
2
: something that festers and corrupts like an open sore
ulcer verb
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Left untouched, a single corroding ulcer will puncture tanks, seize a motor, even collapse a hull. 
Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 18 July 2022 The administration noted that examples of discrimination could include a pharmacy that refuses to fill a prescription of misoprostol prescribed to help deal with a severe stomach ulcer. CBS News, 22 July 2022 However, misoprostol—a generic drug that is sold over-the-counter in certain countries, including Mexico, where it is used as an ulcer medication—can also be taken alone. Annalisa Merelli, Quartz, 24 June 2022 Doctors can prescribe misoprostol, one of the two drugs used in medication abortions, for other purposes, namely ulcer prevention. Washington Post, 4 May 2022 Bleeding problems in people without high-risk conditions like peptic ulcer disease, NSAID use or corticosteroid use are rare, the task force notes, but the risk goes up with age. Jen Christensen, CNN, 26 Apr. 2022 For Matt Beaty, the most ulcer-inducing difference between playing for the Dodgers and Padres involved 90 minutes of pure baseball panic. Bryce Millercolumnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2022 Jobe, 78, died of complications from a small bowel ulcer on March 16 at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, said his son, Will. Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2022 Stagnant water seems to be a requisite for outbreaks of Buruli ulcer, a disease caused by flesh-eating bacteria with a growing presence in southeastern Australia. Frances Vinall, Anchorage Daily News, 14 Apr. 2022 See More
Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 18 July 2022 The administration noted that examples of discrimination could include a pharmacy that refuses to fill a prescription of misoprostol prescribed to help deal with a severe stomach ulcer. CBS News, 22 July 2022 However, misoprostol—a generic drug that is sold over-the-counter in certain countries, including Mexico, where it is used as an ulcer medication—can also be taken alone. Annalisa Merelli, Quartz, 24 June 2022 Doctors can prescribe misoprostol, one of the two drugs used in medication abortions, for other purposes, namely ulcer prevention. Washington Post, 4 May 2022 Bleeding problems in people without high-risk conditions like peptic ulcer disease, NSAID use or corticosteroid use are rare, the task force notes, but the risk goes up with age. Jen Christensen, CNN, 26 Apr. 2022 For Matt Beaty, the most ulcer-inducing difference between playing for the Dodgers and Padres involved 90 minutes of pure baseball panic. Bryce Millercolumnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2022 Jobe, 78, died of complications from a small bowel ulcer on March 16 at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, said his son, Will. Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2022 Stagnant water seems to be a requisite for outbreaks of Buruli ulcer, a disease caused by flesh-eating bacteria with a growing presence in southeastern Australia. Frances Vinall, Anchorage Daily News, 14 Apr. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Latin ulcer-, ulcus; akin to Greek helkos wound
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing ulcer
Kids Definition
ulcer
noun
ul·cer ˈəl-sər
: a slow-healing open painful sore (as of the lining of the stomach) in which tissue breaks down
Medical Definition
ulcer 1 of 2
noun
ul·cer ˈəl-sər
: a break in skin or mucous membrane with loss of surface tissue, disintegration and necrosis of epithelial tissue, and often pus
a stomach ulcer
ulcer
2 of 2verb
ulcered; ulcering ˈəls-(ə-)riŋ
: ulcerate