ulcer

noun

ul·​cer ˈəl-sər How to pronounce ulcer (audio)
1
: a break in skin or mucous membrane with loss of surface tissue, disintegration and necrosis of epithelial tissue, and often pus
2
: something that festers and corrupts like an open sore
ulcer verb

Examples of ulcer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Actually, Alma does suffer from ulcers, which cause her extraordinary stomach pain and vomiting at inconvenient moments, and cause viewers to wonder not if but when such clumsy symbolic traits will be trotted out in the future. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2025 His group is also using a new tongue dataset of 750 Internet images to examine tongue shape and oral conditions such as ulcers and cracks with the deep-learning algorithm YOLO. Eve Lu, Scientific American, 8 Oct. 2025 Affecting around five to 10 million people worldwide, ulcerative colitis (UC) is a long-term inflammatory disease that causes the gut lining to become swollen and develop ulcers. New Atlas, 7 Oct. 2025 Over time, this can lead to painful and debilitating ulcers, typically occurring on the inner side of the leg above the ankle. Bryant Stamford, Louisville Courier Journal, 2 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ulcer

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin ulcer-, ulcus; akin to Greek helkos wound

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ulcer was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ulcer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ulcer. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

ulcer

noun
ul·​cer ˈəl-sər How to pronounce ulcer (audio)
: a slow-healing open sore in which tissue breaks down

Medical Definition

ulcer

1 of 2 noun
ul·​cer ˈəl-sər How to pronounce ulcer (audio)
: a break in skin or mucous membrane with loss of surface tissue, disintegration and necrosis of epithelial tissue, and often pus
a stomach ulcer

ulcer

2 of 2 verb
ulcered; ulcering ˈəls-(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce ulcer (audio)

More from Merriam-Webster on ulcer

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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