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quinsy

quinsy

1 9.9
A painful infection at the side of the throat that makes swallowing very difficult
  • noun
  • /ˈkwɪn.zi/
  • Specialized
translation icon : quinsy
  • The doctor explained that quinsy often occurs as a complication of untreated tonsillitis.
  • quinsy tonsillectomy

Examples

  • "Like to come down with the quinsy, if you do."

    Fiction book (2001)
  • Different procedures are preferred in different hospitals; some centers use incision and drainage, others needle aspiration, and still others immediate (quinsy) tonsillectomy.

    Academic text (2005)
  • The reported incidence of bilateral infection ranges from 0 to 24%, with the higher end of the range representing cases in which an unsuspected contralateral abscess was discovered during quinsy tonsillectomy.

    Academic text (2005)
  • After suffering from a severe throat infection, she developed quinsy, which required immediate medical attention.

  • He was in so much pain from quinsy that he could barely swallow or speak.

Synonyms

peritonsillar abscess
vsquinsy
  • Specialized
1 8.9

A painful pocket of pus next to a tonsil that makes swallowing difficult

focuses on inflamed tonsils and nearby tissue rather than only a pus pocket

Antonyms

1.0

The condition of a person's body and mind, especially being free from illness or injury

How Severe

quinsy
  • Specialized
1 9.9
tonsillitis
  • Specialized
4 4.3
sore throat
27 1.3

Surface Forms

quinsy singular
quinsies plural

Etymology

Quinsy comes from an old French word esquinancie that meant 'strangling' or 'a tight feeling in the throat'. So the name fits the modern meaning: a painful swollen tonsil that can make swallowing hard.