furoncle

boil, furuncle

noun fyoo-ROHN-kl Rare

Origin: from Latin 'furunculus' (petty thief, then skin boil)

Usage Note

Furoncle is the medical and standard French term for a boil — a painful bacterial skin infection. It derives from Latin furunculus. Colloquially, a boil is sometimes called un clou in familiar speech.

Examples

"Il a un furoncle douloureux dans le cou."

Natural Translation

He has a painful boil on his neck.

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