fester
UK /ˈfɛstə/ · US /ˈfɛstɚ/ noun, verb, proper noun
Forms festers festering festered
- noun (pathology, obsolete) A fistula.
- noun (pathology) A sore or an ulcer of the skin.
- noun The condition of something that festers; a festering; a festerment.
- verb (intransitive) To become septic; to become rotten.
- verb (intransitive, figurative) To worsen, especially due to lack of attention. “Deal with the problem immediately; do not let it fester.”
- verb (transitive) To cause to fester or rankle.
- proper noun A surname from German.
Synonyms
putrefy rot decay decompose suppurating sore maturate suppurate
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English festre, festur, borrowed from Old French festre (cognate with Italian fistola, Occitan fistola, Spanish fístula), from Latin fistula. The verb is derived from the noun, while the “condition of something that festers” noun sense is derived from the verb. Doublet of fistula.
Borrowed from German Fester.
Webster’s 1913
- verb To generate pus; to become imflamed and suppurate; as, a sore or a wound festers.
- verb To be inflamed; to grow virulent, or malignant; to grow in intensity; to rankle.
- verb To cause to fester or rankle.
- noun A small sore which becomes inflamed and discharge corrupt matter; a pustule.
Etymology [OE. festern, fr. fester, n.; or fr. OF. festrir, fr. festre, n. See Fester, n.]
Etymology [OF. festre, L. fistula a sort of ulcer. Cf. Fistula.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “fester”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details