Helcoma
/hɛlˈkoʊ.mə/noun
An ulcer or ulcerative lesion, especially in older medical terminology.
Did you know?Helcoma belongs to a family of medical terms built from Ancient Greek helkos, the word for a wound or ulcer, which survives in technical anatomy and pathology.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*welk-
“A proposed root associated with pulling or drawing; its reconstruction and exact development are debated.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἕλκος (helkos)
“A wound, sore, or ulcer.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἕλκωμα (helkōma)
“An ulcerous growth or ulceration, formed from helkos with a noun-forming suffix.”
Late Antique / Medieval Medical Latin
Latin
helcoma
“An ulcer or ulcerative lesion in medical usage.”
19th Century
Medical English
helcoma
“A technical term for an ulcer, particularly in older medical writing.”
Modern English
English
helcoma
“An obsolete or highly specialized medical term for an ulcer.”