Ichorous
/ˈɪkərəs/noun
Relating to ichor, especially a thin, watery, foul-smelling discharge from a wound or ulcer.
Did you know?In Homeric Greek, ichor was the otherworldly fluid flowing through the veins of gods, contrasting with mortal human blood; later medicine repurposed the term for purulent wound discharge.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἰχώρ (ikhṓr)
“The ethereal fluid believed to flow in the veins of the gods”
1st Century BCE–1st Century CE
Latin
ichor
“Divine fluid or serum-like bodily discharge, borrowed from Greek”
17th Century
English
ichor
“A thin, watery, often offensive discharge from a wound or ulcer”
17th Century
English
ichorous
“Relating to or resembling ichor, especially wound discharge”
Modern English
English
ichorous
“Describing a thin, watery, foul-smelling discharge associated with ulceration”
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