Carbuncle Definition
kärbŭngkəl
carbuncles
noun
Any of certain deep-red gems.
Webster's New World
A smooth, convex, deep-red garnet.
Webster's New World
A painful bacterial infection (esp. Staphylococcus aureus) deep beneath the skin, having a network of pus-filled boils.
Webster's New World
A mythical gemstone said to emit light even in total darkness.
American Heritage
(heraldry) A charge or bearing supposed to represent the precious stone, with eight sceptres or staves radiating from a common centre; an escarbuncle.
Wiktionary
Other Word Forms of Carbuncle
Noun
Singular:
carbuncle
Plural:
carbunclesOrigin of Carbuncle
-
Middle English from Old French from Latin carbunculus small glowing ember, carbuncle diminutive of carbō carbōn- coal ker-3 in Indo-European roots
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
From Old Northern French carbuncle
From Wiktionary
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