C15: from Old French empostume, from Late Latin apostēma, from Greek, literally: separation (of pus), from aphistanai to remove, from histanai to stand
abscess in British English
(ˈæbsɛs, -sɪs)
noun
1.
a localized collection of pus formed as the product of inflammation and usually caused by bacteria
verb
2. (intransitive)
to form such a collection of pus
Derived forms
abscessed (ˈabscessed)
adjective
Word origin
C16: from Latin abscessus a going away, a throwing off of bad humours, hence an abscess, from abscēdere to go away