carbuncle
[ kahr-buhng-kuh l ]
/ ˈkɑr bʌŋ kəl /
noun
Pathology.
a painful circumscribed inflammation of the subcutaneous tissue, resulting in suppuration and sloughing, and having a tendency to spread somewhat like a boil, but more serious in its effects.
a gemstone, especially a garnet, cut with a convex back and a cabochon surface.
Also called London brown.
a dark grayish, red-brown color.
Obsolete.
any rounded red gem.
adjective
having the color carbuncle.
Origin of carbuncle
1150–1200; Middle English < Anglo-French < Latin
carbunculus kind of precious stone, tumor, literally, live coal, equivalent to
carbōn- (stem of
carbō) burning charcoal +
-culus
-cule1, apparently assimilated to derivates from short-vowel stems; cf.
homunculus
Words nearby carbuncle
Example sentences from the Web for carbuncle
British Dictionary definitions for carbuncle
carbuncle
/ (ˈkɑːˌbʌŋkəl) /
noun
an extensive skin eruption, similar to but larger than a boil, with several openings: caused by staphylococcal infection
a rounded gemstone, esp a garnet cut without facets
a dark reddish-greyish-brown colour
Derived forms of carbuncle
carbuncled, adjective carbuncular (kɑːˈbʌŋkjʊlə), adjectiveWord Origin for carbuncle
C13: from Latin
carbunculus diminutive of
carbō coal
Medical definitions for carbuncle
carbuncle
[ kär′bŭng′kəl ]
n.
A deep-seated pyogenic infection of several contiguous hair follicles, with formation of connecting sinuses, often preceded or accompanied by fever, malaise, and prostration.
anthrax