felon
- noun
- /ˈfɛlən/
- Specialized
- She went to the clinic to treat a felon that had formed near her nail, causing a lot of discomfort.
Examples
-
I got a felon in front of me, a fool in the family... and a giant nymphomaniac on the roof.
-
I thought it looked as though a freshly printed felon had taken my wrist in the middle of a booking.
Fiction book (1996) -
A felon.
-
Google wants to autocorrect it to "whitlow," which is an infection of the tip of the finger (also known, amusingly, as a "felon")... but your post isn't about your painful fingertips.
Blog text (20) -
After cutting my finger, I developed a painful felon that made it difficult to type.
-
The doctor explained that a felon is an infection around the fingertip that can cause significant swelling.
Synonyms
A painful swollen lump on the skin around a hair that is filled with pus
A painful, pus-filled swelling at the end of a finger or toe
A skin infection around a fingernail or toenail that causes redness, swelling, and pain
Surface Forms
Etymology
Felon for the finger infection comes from an old word for a painful 'boil' or swelling at the fingertip. That's why a felon means a painful, pus-filled infection near the nail.