whitlow
English
Etymology
Alteration of whitflaw, the first element coming from either Dutch vijt or Low German fit (“abscess”). See flaw.
Pronunciation
- (US) IPA(key): /ˈwɪt.loʊ/, /ˈʍɪt.loʊ/
Noun
whitlow (plural whitlows)
- An infection under the cuticle of a fingernail or toenail.
- 1874, Thomas Hardy, Far from the Madding Crowd:
- 'Twas a bad leg allowed me to read the Pilgrim's Progress, and Mark Clark learnt All-Fours in a whitlow.
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Synonyms
- paronychia
- wicklow (common misspelling in some regions)
Translations
an infection
Further reading
- “whitlow” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2001–2019.
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