cold sore
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English
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Compound of cold + sore, probably for the tendency of the vesicles to recur along with other illness, or possibly during cold weather, though this explanation is less common.[1] Compare synonym fever blister.
Pronunciation
[edit]- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈkoʊld ˌsɔɹ/
Noun
[edit]cold sore (plural cold sores)
- (pathology) A small bump (namely a vesicle) on the lips resulting from infection by herpes simplex viruses (mostly HHV1 but also HHV2).
Synonyms
[edit]- (colloquially) fever blister, herpes
- (scientifically) herpes labialis, herpes simplex, herpes simplex 1
Translations
[edit]small bump on the lips
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References
[edit]- ^ “cold sore, n.”, in OED Online , Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, December, 2012.