gangrene

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   the death and decay of body tissue, usually caused by loss of blood supply and sometimes complicated by infection

   The surgeon restored circulation to the foot before gangrene could spread.

2. 2
   verb

   to become affected by gangrene or undergo necrosis

   Untreated tissue may gangrene when its blood supply is completely cut off.

Borrowed through French gangrene and Latin gangraena from Ancient Greek gangraina, a term for an eating or spreading sore. The old image of tissue being "eaten away" matches the condition's progressive death and decay of flesh.

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