Delhi boil
- noun
- /ˈdɛli bɔɪl/
- Archaic
- The doctor diagnosed the ulcer as a Delhi boil after observing the lesion and taking a tissue sample.
Examples
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Travelers to certain regions may be at risk for developing Delhi boil if bitten by infected sandflies.
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His untreated Delhi boil became more painful and required medical intervention to prevent secondary infection.
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The patient has a Delhi boil.
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Look out for a Delhi boil!
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Travelers to certain regions may be at risk for developing a Delhi boil if bitten by infected sandflies.
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The doctor diagnosed the ulcer as a Delhi boil after observing the lesion and taking a tissue sample.
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His untreated Delhi boil became more painful and required medical intervention to prevent secondary infection.
Synonyms
A disease caused by parasites that sandflies spread when they bite people, making skin sores and sometimes harming internal organs
A skin disease that causes open sores
A skin infection from tiny parasites in warm countries that makes open sores
A skin disease that causes painful open sores
An open skin sore caused by a small parasite in hot countries
A skin disease from sandfly bites in Europe, Asia, or Africa that causes open sores
A disease caused by tiny parasites spread by sandflies that makes skin sores and can affect organs
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is compositionally built from 'Delhi' (a place) + 'boil' (a skin lesion), so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer it denotes a kind of boil or skin disease associated with Delhi. The place+disease construction is cross-linguistically common and predictable; only the precise medical cause (leishmaniasis) is specialized knowledge beyond basic transparency.
Etymology
The compound noun Delhi boil comes from old travelers and soldiers who saw a painful skin sore around Delhi; the word boil describes the swollen, aching spot and Delhi points to where many people caught it. That's why the phrase means a 'skin disease' with open, painful sores.