rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryulcerOpen sore
noun

ulcer

UL-ser/ˈʌlsər/

An open sore on the skin or an internal body lining.

The illustration shows a small shallow ulcer on the skin.

A small shallow circular open sore on an illustrated skin patch, clinical non-graphic, no blood.
Etymology
ulcerLatinulcer, sore

Latin ulcus already meant a sore. Early English use emphasized a festering wound on an external soft part of the body; the selected sense also includes sores on internal body linings.

In context

BloodStream Media1:58
you could have an ulcer in your mouth like a mouth sore
#21 - Getting to the Base of the Ulcer: How Dr. Caterina Minniti Became the Queen of the Bronx

More examples

  • The doctor examined the ulcer.
  • Several ulcers appeared on the lining.
  • The textbook explains how an ulcer differs from a closed wound.

Forms

ulcer · ulcers

Similar words

sore
Sore is the broader everyday term.
lesion
Lesion includes abnormalities beyond an open ulcer.