ringworm
/ˈɹɪŋˌwɝm/ noun
Forms ringworms
- noun A contagious fungal infection of the skin, characterized by ring-shaped discolored patches, covered by vesicles or scales. “In superficial mycoses infection is localised to the skin, the hair, and the nails. An example is ringworm or tinea, an infection of the skin by a dermatophyte.”
Synonyms
Etymology
From Middle English ringworm (“ringworm; intestinal worm”), from Old English rengwyrm (“maw-worm, intestinal worm”), equivalent to ring + worm.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A contagious affection of the skin due to the presence of a vegetable parasite, and forming ring-shaped discolored patches covered with vesicles or powdery scales. It occurs either on the body, the face, or the scalp. Different varieties are distinguished as Tinea circinata, Tinea tonsurans, etc., but all are caused by the same parasite (a species of Trichophyton).
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “ringworm”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details