herpetic
1
8.1
Relating to or caused by the herpes virus
- adjective
- /hɜrˈpɛtɪk/
- Specialized
:
herpético
- He suffers from herpetic lesions that cause significant discomfort.
- herpetic pain
Examples
-
She developed herpetic sores around her mouth after being exposed to the virus.
-
You can get glossitis and herpetic stomatitis.
Fiction book (1995) -
The doctor diagnosed her condition as a recurrent herpetic infection.
Surface Forms
herpetic positive
Morphology
herpetic = herpet (opaque) = herpet + ic
The form 'herpet' is not a standalone English word and its connection to 'herpes' is not transparent to most learners.
Etymology
Herpetic comes from the Greek verb herpein, which means 'to creep'. Doctors named herpes because its blisters seemed to 'creep' across the skin, so herpetic means 'relating to or caused by the herpes virus'.