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A bursa is a little pouch filled with fluid that sits between a tendon and a bone. When the fluid becomes infected by bacteria or irritated by too much movement, bursitis results. Throwing a baseball too many times at one session, for example, may inflame and irritate one of the bursae (notice the plural form) in the shoulder. Bursitis in another part of the body may be known by a traditional name such as "housemaid's knee", "soldier's heel", or "tennis elbow". Bursitis generally goes away after a few weeks of resting the affected area, and the pain can be treated with ice packs and aspirin.
Examples of bursitis in a Sentence
Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026
He has been burdened with a hamstring injury for several months and most recently with bursitis.
—Michael Lewis, Forbes.com, 12 Feb. 2026
The former first-round pick out of Auburn missed three NBA preseason games due to shoulder bursitis before getting cleared to return for the regular season.
—Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Fellow utility man Hyeseong Kim is a bit behind Hernandez’s recovery timetable with left shoulder bursitis.
—Doug Padilla, Oc Register, 17 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bursitis
Cite this Entry
“Bursitis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bursitis. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bursitis
noun
Medical Definition
bursitis
noun
