ringworm
nounUS /ˈɹɪŋˌwɝm/
Etymology From Middle English ringworm (“ringworm; intestinal worm”), from Old English rengwyrm (“maw-worm, intestinal worm”), equivalent to ring + worm.
1
Usually A contagious fungal infection of the skin, characterized by ring-shaped discolored patches, covered by vesicles or scales.
- In superficial mycoses infection is localised to the skin, the hair, and the nails. An example is ringworm or tinea, an infection of the skin by a dermatophyte.
- Many of these natives, especially the lower classes, and fishermen, have their skins disfigured in a singular manner, by a sort of scurfy disease, similar to the ring-worm, or rather to a person whose skin was peeling off from the effects of the sun.1848 December, “Pacific Ocean: The Island of Bornabi”, in The Nautical Magazine and Naval Chronicle, volume 17, number 12, page 647:
- Synonyms
- dermatophytosis, tinea
- Derived terms
- beard ringworm, gray patch ringworm, groin ringworm, honeycomb ringworm, ringwormed, scalp ringworm, sylvatic ringworm
- Related terms
- dermatomycosis
- Hyponyms
- athlete’s foot, barber’s itch, jock itch