ulceration
|ul-cer-a-tion|
🇺🇸
/ˌʌlsəˈreɪʃən/
🇬🇧
/ˌʌlsəˈreɪʃ(ə)n/
formation of a sore / a sore
Etymology
'ulceration' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'ulceratio' (from 'ulcerare'), where 'ulcus' meant 'sore'.
'ulceration' passed into English via Late Latin/Medieval Latin 'ulceratio' and Middle English forms (e.g. 'ulceracioun'), eventually becoming the modern English 'ulceration'.
Initially it referred to a 'sore' or the act of making a sore; over time it retained that medical sense and also gained figurative senses of a festering social or moral problem.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the process or formation of an ulcer; the pathological development of ulcerated tissue.
The ulceration of the gastric lining required immediate medical attention.
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Noun 2
a localized lesion or sore resulting from the loss of tissue; an ulcer (the physical lesion itself).
Endoscopy revealed several ulcerations in the patient's colon.
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Noun 3
figurative: a source of deep-seated irritation, corruption, or social/political sore; something that festers and causes damage.
The long-standing abuses had become an ulceration in the community's trust.
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Last updated: 2025/08/15 18:33