carbuncle

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English

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A heraldic carbuncle.

Etymology

From Middle English carbuncle, charbocle, from Old French carbuncle, charbuncle, from Latin carbunculus (“a small coal; a reddish kind of precious stone; a kind of tumor”), diminutive of carbō (“a coal, charcoal”).

Pronunciation

Noun

carbuncle (plural carbuncles)

  2. (archaic) A deep-red or fiery colored garnet or other dark red precious stone, especially when cut cabochon.
    • 1602, William Shakespeare, Hamlet, act II, scene 2, line 401:
      With eyes like carbuncles, the hellish Pyrrhus […]
    • 1611, The Holy Bible,  (King James Version), London: Robert Barker, , →OCLC, Isaiah 54:12:
      And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.
    • 1634, Thomas Herbert, A Relation of Some Yeares Trauaile, Begunne Anno 1626. Into Afrique and the Greater Asia, especially the Territories of the Persian Monarchie: And some Parts of the Orientall Indies, and Iles Adiacent. Of their Religion, Language, Habit, Discent, Ceremonies, and other Matters Concerning Them: Together with the Proceedings and Death of the Three Late Ambassadours: Sir D. C Sir R. S and the Persian Nogdi-Beg: As also the Two Great Monarchs, the King of Persia, and the Great Mogol, London: William Stansby for Iacob Bloome, →OCLC; republished as William Foster, editor, Travels in Persia 1627–1629. Abridged and Edited by Sir William Foster with an Introduction and Notes (Broadway Travellers), London: G. Routledge & Sons, 1928, →OCLC, page 79:
      His turban, or mandil [mandīl], was of finest white silk interwoven with gold, bestudded with pearl[s] and carbuncles; […]
    • 1936, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, London: Long, page 155:
      A piece of marigold or bay leaf was imbedded in the metal, and over it a carbuncle or chrysolite was placed.
    1. (heraldry) A charge or bearing supposed to represent the precious stone, with eight sceptres or staves radiating from a common centre; an escarbuncle.
  4. (pathology) An abscess larger than a boil, usually with one or more openings draining pus onto the skin. It is usually caused by staphylococcal infection.
  5. An unpopular or ugly building; an eyesore.

Related terms

Translations

See also

References

Middle English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French carbuncle, charbuncle, itself borrowed from Latin carbunculus.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈkarbunkəl/, /ˈkarbukəl/, /ˈt͡ʃ-/

Noun

carbuncle (plural carbuncles)

  1. A carbuncle (garnet or other precious stone)
  2. Material similar to carbuncle.
  3. (pathology) A carbuncle; a large abscess.

Descendants

  • English: carbuncle

References

Old French

Alternative forms

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin carbunculus.

Noun

carbuncle oblique singular, m (oblique plural carbuncles, nominative singular carbuncles, nominative plural carbuncle)

  1. carbuncle (deep-red or fiery colored garnet or other dark red precious stone)

Descendants

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