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Glite Dictionary
proud flesh

proud flesh

9.9
Extra soft raised tissue that grows around a cut and keeps the cut from closing
  • noun
  • /praʊd flɛʃ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : carne de granulación
  • The veterinarian explained that proud flesh can form around a healing wound if it is left untreated.

Examples

  • Proud flesh, as he called it, rose up in my knees and was burned out with caustic.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • After surgery, the doctor noted that proud flesh was beginning to appear on the incision, which could delay recovery.

  • When the horse developed proud flesh on its leg, the owner sought advice on how to manage the excess tissue.

Antonyms

healing
2.6

That helps the body or mind become healthy again

Surface Forms

proud flesh singular
proud fleshes plural

Morphology

proud + flesh

The compound meaning is partially recoverable: 'flesh' clearly refers to bodily tissue, and 'proud' here uses an extended/archaic sense of 'prominent/exuberant' rather than the everyday sense 'pleased'. Because the phrase denotes a specific medical condition (excess/granulation tissue) that requires this less common sense of 'proud', a B1 learner who only knows the basic meanings would only partially infer the intended meaning.

Etymology

The term proud flesh comes from doctors and farmers who saw bright red, raised tissue sticking up from a wound. The flesh looked proud, standing out above the skin, so the phrase now means extra, swollen tissue that can 'delay' proper healing.