Exulcerate
/ɪɡˈzʌlsəreɪt/noun
To make sore, inflame, or provoke bitterness and irritation.
Did you know?Exulcerate comes from Latin medical language: the same root behind an actual ulcer became a metaphor for irritation so intense it felt like a wound, which is why the word can sound almost alchemical.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*el-
“to wound, ulcerate, or cause harm”
Latin
Latin
ulcus
“a sore, ulcer, or wound”
Classical Latin
Latin
exulcerare
“to make sore; to irritate or aggravate”
Late Latin
Latin
exulceratus
“made sore, inflamed”
Middle English
English
exulcerate
“to make sore or bitter; to irritate intensely”
Modern English
English
exulcerate
“to irritate, inflame, or provoke bitterness”