pus
pus Lexical Profile
pus Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A thick, opaque, yellowish or greenish-white fluid formed at the site of an infected wound or abscess, consisting of dead white blood cells, tissue debris, and bacteria.
"The physician carefully drained the accumulated pus from the infected wound and applied a sterile dressing."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse with 'puss' (an informal word for a cat or the face); in medical and formal contexts, the related adjective is 'purulent' rather than the informal 'pussy'.
• Rhymes for pus
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 14th century directly from Latin 'pus' (genitive 'puris'), meaning 'matter from a sore' or 'rot', which is cognate with Ancient Greek 'pyon' and Sanskrit 'puyah', all tracing back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to rot' or 'to decay'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.