A blister is a small bubble on the skin filled with fluid, usually caused by rubbing, burning, or infection.
It comes from Middle English “blister” and Old French “blestre,” possibly from a Germanic root related to “blaze” and “blaze up.” The idea is of a raised, swollen spot, like a tiny bubble of damage.
A blister is your body’s emergency bubble wrap—fluid cushions the damaged skin so it can heal. The word is so vivid that we also use it metaphorically, like a “blistering pace” or “blistering criticism,” to suggest painful intensity.
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