Blain

/bleɪn/ noun

Definition

A blister, boil, or sore on the skin; an inflamed mark or pustule.

Etymology

From Old English 'blegen' or 'blaegn,' related to Old Norse 'bleinn.' The word has Germanic roots and appears in Middle English medical texts referring to skin afflictions.

Kelly Says

This archaic word appears in the King James Bible describing plagues—'blains breaking forth' on cattle. Medieval doctors used 'blain' to diagnose all kinds of mysterious skin problems before germ theory!

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