An archaic or dialectal term for a carbuncle, a painful skin infection or a red gemstone used in heraldry and jewelry.
From Old French charbocle, derived from Latin carbunculus (little coal), referring either to the glowing appearance of the infection or the jewel's fiery red color.
Medieval people saw the infected bump as a glowing coal and the gemstone as equally fiery—the same word described both the disease and the treasure, showing how metaphors shaped medical language.
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