ulcer

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   an open sore on the skin or a mucous membrane in which tissue has been damaged or destroyed

   The doctor treated the persistent leg ulcer and checked for infection.

2. 2
   noun

   a peptic ulcer in the stomach or upper intestine

   Medication helped the stomach ulcer heal without surgery.

3. 3
   noun

   figurative: a harmful or corrupting problem that continues to spread

   The essay described official bribery as an ulcer on public life.

From Old French ulcere, from Latin ulcus ("sore, ulcer"). The medical word later developed a figurative use for a persistent source of moral or social corruption.

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