Ulcerate
/ˈʌlsəreɪt/noun
To form or develop an ulcer; to become ulcerous or corrode into an ulcer.
Did you know?Ulcerate comes from Latin ulcus, meaning an ulcer or sore, and its older Indo-European root is tied to the idea of a wound that gnaws and consumes, which is why the word feels so physically violent.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wel-
“To wound, strike, or hurt”
Latin
Latin
ulcus
“A sore, ulcer, or festering wound”
Late Latin
Latin
ulcerāre
“To cause to ulcerate; to make sore”
Middle English
English
ulceraten
“To become or make ulcerous”
Modern English
English
ulcerate
“To form or develop an ulcer; to corrode into an ulcer”
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