pus

\ ˈpəs

Definition of pus

: a thick, opaque, usually yellowish-white, fluid matter that is formed as part of an inflammatory response typically associated with an infection and is composed of exudate chiefly containing dead white blood cells (such as neutrophils), tissue debris, and pathogenic microorganisms (such as bacteria)

Examples of pus in a Sentence

Pus oozed from the cat's injured ear.

Recent Examples on the Web Pneumonia is when air sacs in the lungs fill with fluid or pus. — Madeline Holcombe, CNN, "ESPN reporter Edward Aschoff was diagnosed with pneumonia and HLH before he died. What is HLH?," 27 Dec. 2019 Unlike cysts, blackheads, or whiteheads, lipomas don't ooze or spew pus. — Megan Decker, refinery29.com, "The 7 Biggest Dr. Pimple Popper Lipoma Extractions Ever," 5 July 2019 Symptoms can include redness, swelling, pain and pus, and oftentimes, fever. — Linda Carroll, NBC News, "Deadly superbug MRSA can linger on surfaces in the home for months," 26 Nov. 2019 Vaccination could cause blood poisoning; this was not intuitive in the age before germ theory but is no surprise to us today, as cowpox pus was harvested under far from sterile conditions and often harboured farmyard bacteria. — The Economist, "The original anti-vaxxers," 30 Aug. 2019 Later symptoms include ulcers, blisters, or black spots on the skin, changes in skin color, pus, dizziness, fatigue and diarrhea or nausea. — Susan Scutti, CNN, "Florida man has 25% of his skin stripped from his body in his fight against flesh-eating bacteria," 27 Aug. 2019 India the tiger died of sepsis, so ravaged by infection that an autopsy uncovered muscles and organs full of pus, activists said. — Washington Post, "Roadside zoo in Md. must prepare to give up endangered animals after PETA sues," 2 Dec. 2019 The pus inside those pustules is actually made up of white blood cells, is not from an infection. — Lambeth Hochwald, Health.com, "What to Know About Pustular Psoriasis, According to Dermatologists," 29 Aug. 2019 Doctors recently found pus inside of him from intestinal leakage. — New York Times, "‘My World Has Now Stopped’: How One Family Is Recovering From a Mass Shooting," 31 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pus.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

4 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Pus.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pus. Accessed 26 January 2020.

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More Definitions for pus

pus

noun

English Language Learners Definition of pus

medical : a thick, yellowish substance that is produced when a part of the body or a wound becomes infected

See the full definition for pus in the English Language Learners Dictionary

pus

noun

\ ˈpəs

Kids Definition of pus

: a thick yellowish substance that is produced when a part of the body or a wound becomes infected

pus

noun

\ ˈpəs

Medical Definition of pus

: a thick, opaque, usually yellowish-white, fluid matter that is formed as part of an inflammatory response typically associated with an infection and is composed of exudate chiefly containing dead white blood cells (as neutrophils), tissue debris, and pathogenic microorganisms (as bacteria)

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