A hernia or swelling containing pus; a protrusion of pus-filled tissue through a weak point in surrounding tissue.
From Greek 'empyon' (pus) combined with 'kele' (hernia or swelling), creating a medical term that describes a physical deformation filled with infected material.
Empyocele combines two ancient medical observations—hernias (visible bulges) and pus infections—creating a term for a particularly dangerous condition where infection literally pushes through the body's protective barriers, which would have been especially terrifying to pre-antibiotic surgeons.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.