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abcès

abscess

noun ab-SEH Rare
Body & Health Medicine

Origin: from Latin abscessus, 'a going away'

Usage Note

Abcès ends in -ès, which is silent; the word sounds like ab-SEH. The phrase crever l'abcès ('to lance the abscess') is a very common figurative expression meaning to confront and resolve a festering problem head-on. The plural is identical: les abcès.

Examples

"Le dentiste a drainé l'abcès sans douleur."

Natural Translation

The dentist drained the abscess painlessly.

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