Caratch

/ˈkærætʃ/ noun

Definition

A type of disease or skin condition, particularly a form of mange or parasitic infection affecting animals or humans.

Etymology

From Portuguese 'carracho' or Spanish terms for skin conditions, possibly influenced by Arabic medical terminology through Iberian sources.

Kelly Says

Medieval and Renaissance physicians used this word in medical texts without clear Latin roots—suggesting it came directly from folk medicine practitioners who dealt with animals and understood these conditions firsthand.

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