chancre

[ shang-ker ]

nounPathology.
  1. the initial lesion of syphilis and certain other infectious diseases, commonly a more or less distinct ulcer or sore with a hard base.

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Origin of chancre

1
1595–1605; <Middle French ≪ Latin cancrum, accusative of cancercancer

Other words from chancre

  • chancrous, adjective

Words Nearby chancre

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use chancre in a sentence

  • The macular syphiloderm is a general eruption, showing itself usually six or eight weeks after the appearance of the chancre.

    Essentials of Diseases of the Skin | Henry Weightman Stelwagon
  • He had had the chancre for six weeks before applying to me, but had been, he said, ashamed to consult a physician.

    The Electric Bath | George M. Schweig
  • If the induration is well marked, the chancre can be palpated through the prepuce, and is tender on pressure.

    Manual of Surgery | Alexis Thomson and Alexander Miles
  • A primary chancre at the edge of the nail may be mistaken for a whitlow, especially if it is attended with much pain.

    Manual of Surgery | Alexis Thomson and Alexander Miles
  • The chancre is contagious for several weeks, and few syphilitics escape having some contagious secondary lesions the first year.

    The Third Great Plague | John H. Stokes

British Dictionary definitions for chancre

chancre

/ (ˈʃæŋkə) /


noun
  1. pathol a small hard nodular growth, which is the first diagnostic sign of acquired syphilis

Origin of chancre

1
C16: from French, from Latin: cancer

Derived forms of chancre

  • chancrous, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012