Meaning & use
carbuncle
A large, painful, pus-filled swelling under the skin caused by a bacterial infection.
See it in a sentence
The doctor lanced the carbuncle on his neck and prescribed antibiotics.
A carbuncle formed on her shoulder after the small wound became infected.
A note on using this word
Larger and more serious than a single boil, since a carbuncle involves several connected infection sites.
Words with a similar meaning
boilabscess
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Another way to use it
2. noun
(literary) A deep-red gemstone, especially a garnet cut with a smooth, rounded surface.
The queen's crown was set with a single glowing carbuncle.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “carbuncle”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.