abscess

noun

ab·​scess ˈab-ˌses 

plural abscesses ˈab-ˌse-səz 

-ˌsēz;

-sə-səz 

: a localized collection of pus surrounded by inflamed tissue

abscessed

ˈab-ˌsest 

adjective

an abscessed tooth [=an infected tooth that has caused an abscess in the gum]

Examples of abscess in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

An appendectomy is the most expensive at $20,194, followed by a C-section delivery for pregnancy at $15,603, vaginal delivery at $9,697, gallbladder removal at $9,256, kidney stone removal using shockwave crushing at $8,900, colonoscopy with tumor removal at $2,920, skin abscesses removal at $906. —Berkeley Lovelace Jr, NBC news, 22 Oct. 2025

In a Reddit post, the owner shared that the lump, initially feared to be cancer, was instead diagnosed as an abscess caused by a simple piece of grass. —Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025

Three days later, he was sent to the Victory Valley Global Medical Center for a surgery on an abscess on his buttocks, officials said. —Paloma Chavez, Sacbee.com, 24 Sep. 2025

Left untreated, infection can lead to abscesses, bone loss or even facial swelling. —Daryl Austin, USA Today, 13 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin abscessus "departure, withdrawal, congestion, abscess," from abscēdere "to go away, withdraw, form an abscess" (from abs-, variant of ab- ab- before c- and t- + cēdere "to go, withdraw, move away") + -tus, suffix of verbal nouns — more at cede

First Known Use

1574, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for abscess

• abbess
• access
• address
• assess
• caress
• confess
• depress
• digress
• distress
• egress
• excess
• express

Kids Definition

abscess

noun

ab·​scess ˈab-ˌses 

: a collection of pus surrounded by inflamed tissue at some point in the body

abscessed

-ˌsest 

adjective

Medical Definition

abscess

noun

ab·​scess ˈab-ˌses 

plural abscesses ˈab-səs-ˌēz  -ˌses- 

-əz

: a localized collection of pus surrounded by inflamed tissue

abscessed

-ˌsest 

adjective