empyema
[ em-pee-ee-muh, -pahy- ]
/ ˌɛm piˈi mə, -paɪ- /
noun Pathology.
a collection of pus in a body cavity, especially the pleural cavity.
Also called
pyothorax.
Origin of empyema
1605–15; < Late Latin < Greek
empýēma abscess, equivalent to
em-
em-2 +
pyē- (variant stem of
pyeîn to suppurate, akin to
pýon, pýos pus) +
-ma noun suffix denoting result of action
OTHER WORDS FROM empyema
em·py·e·mic, adjectiveWords nearby empyema
empty-handed,
empty-headed,
empty-nest syndrome,
empty-nester,
empurple,
empyema,
empyesis,
empyreal,
empyrean,
empyreuma,
emr
Example sentences from the Web for empyema
British Dictionary definitions for empyema
empyema
/ (ˌɛmpaɪˈiːmə) /
noun plural -emata (-ˈiːmətə) or -emas
a collection of pus in a body cavity, esp in the chest
Derived forms of empyema
empyemic, adjectiveWord Origin for empyema
C17: from Medieval Latin, from Greek
empuēma abscess, from
empuein to suppurate, from
puon pus
Medical definitions for empyema
empyema
[ ĕm′pī-ē′mə ]
n. pl. em•py•e•ma•ta (-mə-tə)
The presence of pus in a body cavity, especially the pleural cavity.