Gangrened

/ˈɡæŋɡriːnd/ adjective

Definition

Affected by gangrene; having tissue that has died and begun to decay due to loss of blood supply or infection.

Etymology

Past participle of 'gangrene' (itself from Greek 'gangraina'). The '-ed' suffix creates an adjective describing a state of being affected.

Kelly Says

Before antibiotics (discovered only in the 1920s-40s), a gangrened limb almost always meant amputation or death—which is why the discovery of penicillin and other antibiotics is considered one of medicine's greatest miracles.

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