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Glite Dictionary
whitlow

whitlow

9.9
A painful, pus-filled swelling at the end of a finger or toe
  • noun
  • /ˈhwɪtloʊ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : panadizo
  • After getting a whitlow, he found it hard to type on his phone.

Examples

  • The athlete noticed a pus-filled whitlow forming at the base of his nail.

  • 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)

  • She went to the doctor because she had a painful whitlow on her finger.

Synonyms

felon
vswhitlow
  • Specialized
9.8

A painful infection near the nail at the end of a finger or toe with pus

emphasizes occurrence specifically around the nail rather than general soft tissue

Compounds

whitlow grass
  • UK
9.9

A small weed with tiny white flowers that grows in lawns and bare ground

Surface Forms

whitlow singular
whitlows plural

Etymology

Whitlow probably comes from old words where whit- means 'white' and -low means 'a small sore'. A helpful way to remember it is to picture a 'white' pus-filled sore at the tip of a finger, which is what a whitlow is.