verb
inflame
To make body tissue swollen, red, or painful.
The irritant inflamed the skin.
Etymology
The Latin verb means to set on fire. Inflamed tissue resembles burning through its warmth, redness, and pain, supplying the medical comparison.
More examples
- The tissue had become inflamed around the injury.
- The report described an inflamed joint.
- The reaction inflames the affected area.
Forms
inflame · inflames · inflamed · inflaming
inflammation noun — a tissue response involving changes such as swelling and pain