erysipelas
UK /ˌɛ.ɹɪˈsɪp.ɪl.əs/ · US /ˌɛɹ.əˈsɪp.əl.əs/ noun
Forms erysipelases erisypelas
- noun (pathology) An acute, sometimes recurrent febrile disease caused by infection of a hemolytic streptococcus, associated with intense edematous local inflammation of the skin and subcutaneous tissues, and marked by large raised red patches on the skin.
Etymology
From Middle English erisipila, borrowed from Latin erysipelas, from Ancient Greek ἐρῠσῐ́πελᾰς (erŭsĭ́pelăs), probably related to ἐρῠθρός (erŭthrós, “red”) and πέλμᾰ (pélmă, “the sole of a foot”).
Webster’s 1913
- noun St. Anthony's fire; a febrile disease accompanied with a diffused inflammation of the skin, which, starting usually from a single point, spreads gradually over its surface. It is usually regarded as contagious, and often occurs epidemically.
Etymology [L., fr. Gr. Red, and Pell, n.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “erysipelas”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details