carbuncle

noun

car·​bun·​cle ˈkär-ˌbəŋ-kəl How to pronounce carbuncle (audio)
1
a
obsolete : any of several red precious stones
b
: the garnet cut cabochon
2
: a painful local purulent inflammation of the skin and deeper tissues with multiple openings for the discharge of pus and usually necrosis and sloughing of dead tissue
carbuncled adjective
carbuncular adjective

Examples of carbuncle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web So, what will remain sitting there is an ugly carbuncle. Brian T. Allen, National Review, 23 Dec. 2023 But others, notably Staphylococcus aureus, cause a range of diseases, from pus-producing boils, carbuncles, and abscesses to food poisoning, osteomyelitis, and toxic shock syndrome. Mark Caldwell, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019 The solid gold frame is set with an assortment of dazzling gemstones, including 345 aquamarines, 37 white topaz, 27 tourmalines, 12 rubies, seven amethysts, six sapphires, two jargoons, one garnet, one spinel, and one carbuncle. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 11 Apr. 2023 It’s been that way since the late 1960s, but if Kaktovik ain’t pretty, then Prudhoe—North America’s largest oil field—is a carbuncle in the permafrost. Jamie Lafferty, National Geographic, 29 Dec. 2021 The drama, in their view, is nothing less than a monstrous carbuncle on the face of British society. Meredith Blakestaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 8 Nov. 2022 But all that was knocked down half a century ago, to be replaced by a concrete carbuncle that destroyed the arch and chunks of nearby streets and has been making commuters miserable since 1968. The Economist, 8 Feb. 2020 This isn't Westeros; no one's out here massing troops on opposite sides of a meadow while the fat cats in the biggest tent play an oversized game of Risk and tend to their carbuncles. Peter Rubin, WIRED, 20 Aug. 2019 This pile of dough is a swollen carbuncle on the backside of our fiscal/economic donkey. Alaska Dispatch News, 29 June 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'carbuncle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French charbucle, carbuncule, from Latin carbunculus small coal, carbuncle, diminutive of carbon-, carbo charcoal, ember

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of carbuncle was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near carbuncle

Cite this Entry

“Carbuncle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carbuncle. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

carbuncle

noun
car·​bun·​cle ˈkär-ˌbəŋ-kəl How to pronounce carbuncle (audio)
1
: a rounded and polished garnet
2
: a painful inflammation of the skin and deeper tissues that releases pus from several openings compare boil entry 1

Medical Definition

carbuncle

noun
car·​bun·​cle ˈkär-ˌbəŋ-kəl How to pronounce carbuncle (audio)
: a painful local purulent inflammation of the skin and deeper tissues with multiple openings for the discharge of pus and usually necrosis and sloughing of dead tissue
carbuncular adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on carbuncle

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