Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “purulent” come from?

Purulent comes from Middle French purulent, from Latin purulentus, an adjective formed from pus (matter from infection) and the suffix -entus, ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European krewh₂- meaning raw flesh or blood.

purulent (English): Consisting of pus; Leaking or seeping pus

Definitions

  1. Consisting of pus; Leaking or seeping pus

Ancestry of “purulent”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchpurulent—
2Latinpūrulentus—
3Latin-ulentusadjective-forming suffix meaning abounding in,...
4Latin-entusadjective-forming suffix meaning abounding in,...
5Latincruentusbloody in its various senses, "particularly:"
6Latincruorblood, gore; murder, bloodshed
7Proto-Indo-Europeankrewh₂-blood outside the body

Words derived from “purulent”

  • mucopurulent
  • seropurulent
  • fibrinopurulent
  • purulently
Every word from Proto-Indo-European krewh₂- →