ulcer

noun

ul·​cer ˈəl-sər 

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

Scientists first used the approach to design a drug-delivery robot that could treat ulcers inside the body. —Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2025

Her mother was too malnourished to breast-feed; the baby cried constantly, began losing weight, and developed ulcers and infections. —Clayton Dalton, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2025

View gallery - 3 images When an ulcer creates an actual perforation in the digestive tract, surgery is currently the only treatment. —Ben Coxworth october 16, New Atlas, 16 Oct. 2025

Without nerve sensation, the patients weren’t aware of festering ulcers and infections, which therefore went untreated until amputation was the only option. —Carrie Arnold, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2025

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

Phrases Containing ulcer

• anti-ulcer
• decubitus ulcer
• gastric ulcer
• mouth ulcer
• peptic ulcer
• rodent ulcer

Rhymes for ulcer

• pulser

Kids Definition

ulcer

noun

ul·​cer ˈəl-sər 

: a slow-healing open sore in which tissue breaks down

Medical Definition

ulcer

1 of 2 noun

ul·​cer ˈəl-sər 

: 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 

: ulcerate