Fomentation
/ˌfoʊ.mɛnˈteɪ.ʃən/noun
The act of applying warm liquid or a poultice to a body part to soothe it, or of stirring up trouble.
Did you know?Fomentation comes from Latin fomentum, meaning a warming application or poultice, from fovere, “to warm, cherish,” the same root behind words of comfort and nurture that later gained a darker sense of “stirring up” unrest.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dʰewh₁-
“to smoke, burn, warm”
Latin
Latin
fovēre
“to warm, cherish, keep warm”
Latin
Latin
fomentum
“a warming application; a poultice”
Late Latin
Latin
fomentātiō
“a warming or applying of a poultice”
Middle English
English
fomentacioun
“the act of applying warmth; soothing treatment”
Modern English
English
fomentation
“the act of applying a warm medicated substance, or the act of stirring up trouble”