Bacterid

/ˈbæktərɪd/ noun

Definition

A type of skin condition or skin lesion, especially one caused by bacterial infection or appearing in groups of small pustules.

Etymology

From 'bacteria' (plural of bacterium, from Greek 'bakron' meaning 'staff' or 'rod') + the suffix '-id' (indicating a condition or type), a medical term from the 19th-20th centuries.

Kelly Says

Bacterid shows how medical terminology borrows from microbiology—doctors use '-id' to create names for skin conditions they believe are caused by bacteria, though modern medicine has shown some bacterids aren't actually bacterial.

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