noun Pathology.
- an inflammatory condition of the skin attended with itching and the exudation of serous matter.
noun
- pathol a skin inflammation with lesions that scale, crust, or ooze a serous fluid, often accompanied by intense itching or burning
1753, from Greek ekzema, literally “something thrown out by heat,” from ekzein “to boil out,” from ek “out” (see ex-) + zema “boiling,” from zein “to boil,” from PIE root *yes- “to boil, foam, bubble” (see yeast). Said to have been the name given by ancient physicians to “any fiery pustule on the skin.”
adj.
- Of, marked by, or resembling eczema.
n.
- An acute or chronic noncontagious inflammation of the skin, characterized chiefly by redness, itching, and the outbreak of lesions that may discharge serous matter and become encrusted and scaly.
- An acute or chronic noncontagious inflammation of the skin, often caused by allergy and characterized by itching, scaling, and blistering.