ulcerate

verb

ul·​cer·​ate ˈəl-sə-ˌrāt How to pronounce ulcerate (audio)
ulcerated; ulcerating

transitive verb

: to affect with or as if with an ulcer

intransitive verb

: to become affected with or as if with an ulcer

Examples of ulcerate in a Sentence

The wound began to ulcerate.
Recent Examples on the Web The intestines of typhoid patients often had inflamed or ulcerated nodules known as glands of Peyer or Peyer’s patches, named after a 17th-century Swiss anatomist. Timothy Kent Holliday, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Apr. 2020 As the man lay shackled to his hospital bed by both wrists and ankles and at his waist, the skin on his back began to ulcerate. Sheri Fink, New York Times, 10 June 2019 The limbs swell, develop ulcerating sores and eventually rot. Donald G. McNeil Jr., New York Times, 10 Apr. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ulcerate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of ulcerate was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near ulcerate

Cite this Entry

“Ulcerate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ulcerate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

ulcerate

verb
ul·​cer·​ate ˈəl-sə-ˌrāt How to pronounce ulcerate (audio)
ulcerated; ulcerating
: to cause or become affected with an ulcer
an ulcerated wound

Medical Definition

ulcerate

verb
ul·​cer·​ate ˈəl-sə-ˌrāt How to pronounce ulcerate (audio)
ulcerated; ulcerating

intransitive verb

: to become affected with or as if with an ulcer

transitive verb

: to affect with or as if with an ulcer
an ulcerated stomach

More from Merriam-Webster on ulcerate

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!