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.