Definition

A serious skin infection that causes redness, swelling, and pain, often accompanied by fever, usually caused by a type of bacteria.

Example

The doctor diagnosed her with erysipelas after noticing the red, swollen area on her leg.

Conversation

Have you heard about that skin condition called erysipelas?

Yeah, I've read it's quite serious and can cause a lot of discomfort.

I wonder what the symptoms are for erysipelas specifically.

I think it usually involves fever and red, swollen skin.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Erysipelas is derived from the Greek "erysipelas" (ἐρυσίπελας), which is a compound of "erythros" (ἐρυθρός, meaning red) and "pella" (πέλας, meaning skin). The term originally referred to a skin condition characterized by redness and inflammation.

Memory Tip

Think of the Greek word for red ('erythros') to remember that 'erysipelas' describes a skin condition that causes redness.

Visually Confused Words