erysipelas

• erisypelas (archaic)

From Middle English erisipila, borrowed from Latin erysipelas, from Ancient Greek ἐρῠσῐ́πελᾰς (erŭsĭ́pelăs), probably related to ἐρῠθρός (erŭthrós, “red”) and πέλμᾰ (pélmă, “the sole of a foot”).

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌɛ.ɹɪˈsɪp.ɪl.əs/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌɛɹ.əˈsɪp.əl.əs/, /ˌɛɹ.əˈsɪp.ləs/, /ˌɪɹ.əˈsɪp.əl.əs/, /ˌɪɹ.əˈsɪp.ləs/

erysipelas (countable and uncountable, plural erysipelases)

1. (pathology) An acute, sometimes recurrent febrile disease caused by infection of a hemolytic streptococcus, associated with intense edematous local inflammation of the skin and subcutaneous tissues, and marked by large raised red patches on the skin.
   • 1875 July 31, W. R. Smith, “Erysipelas During Parturition”, in James G. Wakley, editor, The Lancet, volume II, number 2709, London: John James Croft, […], →ISSN, →OCLC, Notes, Short Comments, and Answers to Correspondents., page 187, column 2:

     The symptoms gradually improved until, on the fifth day from her delivery, I was pleased to find the erysipelas rapidly defervescing, the lochia natural, no subinvolution of the uterus, nor abdominal tenderness.

• “erysipelas”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• “erysipelas”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.

Borrowed from Ancient Greek ἐρῠσῐ́πελᾰς (erŭsĭ́pelăs), probably related to ἐρῠθρός (erŭthrós, “red”) and πέλμᾰ (pélmă, “the sole of a foot”) or pellis (“a skin, hide, felt, pelt”).

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ɛ.ryˈsɪ.pɛ.ɫas]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [e.riˈs̬iː.pe.las]

erysipelas n (genitive erysipelatos); third declension

1. (pathology) erysipelas

Third-declension noun (Greek-type, normal variant, neuter, imparisyllabic non-i-stem).

• → English: erysipelas
• Middle English: erisipila