carbuncle

carbuncle
/kahr"bung keuhl/, n.
1. Pathol. 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.
2. a gemstone, esp. a garnet, cut with a convex back and a cabochon surface.
3. Also called London brown. a dark grayish, red-brown color.
4. Obs. any rounded red gem.
adj.
5. having the color carbuncle.
[1150-1200; ME < AF < L carbunculus kind of precious stone, tumor, lit., live coal, equiv. to carbon- (s. of carbo) burning charcoal + -culus -CULE1, appar. assimilated to derivates from short-vowel stems; cf. HOMUNCULUS]

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      in mineralogy, a deep red, cabochon-cut almandine, which is an iron aluminum garnet. See almandine.

▪ skin infection
      in medicine, a type of inflammatory staphylococcal infection of the skin. A carbuncle typically consists of two or more interconnected boils called furuncles; these are painful red nodules that form yellowish heads which burst to release pus and dead tissue. Carbuncles, however, are larger than furuncles, generally involve deeper layers of the skin, and have multiple openings for the drainage of pus. They occur most often in hairy skin areas or areas that are subject to friction—e.g., the back of the neck, the armpits, and the buttocks.

      While simple boils can be eliminated by the application of hot, moist dressings followed by washing with soap, carbuncles may have to be lanced and drained, a procedure that is often followed by antibiotic treatment. After the treatment, poor hygiene may lead to a recurrence.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Carbuncle — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Étymologie Carbuncle vient du latin carbunculus qui signifie pierre rouge foncée. Jeux vidéo Carbuncle est une invocation fréquente dans l univers de… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • carbuncle — early 13c., fiery jewel, from O.N.Fr. carbuncle (O.Fr. charbocle) carbuncle stone, also carbuncle, boil, from L. carbunculus red gem, also red, inflamed spot, lit. a little coal, from carbo (gen. carbonis) coal (see CARBON (Cf. carbon)).… …   Etymology dictionary

  • Carbuncle — Car bun*cle, n. [L. carbunculus a little coal, a bright kind of precious stone, a kind of tumor, dim. of carbo coal: cf. F. carboncle. See {Carbon}.] [1913 Webster] 1. (Min.) A beautiful gem of a deep red color (with a mixture of scarlet) called… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • carbuncle — *abscess, boil, furuncle, pimple, pustule …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • carbuncle — ► NOUN 1) a severe abscess or multiple boil in the skin. 2) a bright red gem, in particular a polished garnet. DERIVATIVES carbuncular adjective. ORIGIN Latin carbunculus small coal , from carbo coal, charcoal …   English terms dictionary

  • carbuncle — [kär′buŋ΄kəl] n. [ME < OFr < L carbunculus, a little coal, gem < carbo: see CARBON] 1. a) Archaic any of certain deep red gems b) a smooth, convex, deep red garnet 2. a painful bacterial infection (esp. Staphylococcus aureus) deep… …   English World dictionary

  • Carbuncle — A carbuncle is an abscess larger than a boil, usually with one or more openings draining pus onto the skin. It is usually caused by bacterial infection, most commonly Staphylococcus aureus. The infection is contagious and may spread to other… …   Wikipedia

  • carbuncle — [13] Etymologically, a carbuncle is a ‘small piece of coal’. It comes ultimately from Latin carbunculus, a diminutive form of carbō ‘coal’ (source of English carbon). This reached English via Old French carbuncle. The Latin word had two main… …   The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins

  • carbuncle — [13] Etymologically, a carbuncle is a ‘small piece of coal’. It comes ultimately from Latin carbunculus, a diminutive form of carbō ‘coal’ (source of English carbon). This reached English via Old French carbuncle. The Latin word had two main… …   Word origins

  • carbuncle — UK [ˈkɑː(r)ˌbʌŋk(ə)l] / US [ˈkɑrˌbʌŋk(ə)l] noun [countable] Word forms carbuncle : singular carbuncle plural carbuncles 1) a big painful lump under your skin, caused by an infection 2) a red jewel 3) a building that is extremely unpleasant to… …   English dictionary

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