carbuncle
noun
car·bun·cle
ˈkär-ˌbəŋ-kəl 
1
a
obsolete
: any of several red precious stones
b
: the garnet cut cabochon
2
: a painful local purulent inflammation of the skin and deeper tissues with multiple openings for the discharge of pus and usually necrosis and sloughing of dead tissue
Examples of carbuncle in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples of bacterial infections are boils, eyelid styes, carbuncles, nail infections, and hair follicle infections.
—
Elizabeth Woolley, Verywell Health, 15 Apr. 2024
So, what will remain sitting there is an ugly carbuncle.
—Brian T. Allen, National Review, 23 Dec. 2023
But others, notably Staphylococcus aureus, cause a range of diseases, from pus-producing boils, carbuncles, and abscesses to food poisoning, osteomyelitis, and toxic shock syndrome.
—Mark Caldwell, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019
The solid gold frame is set with an assortment of dazzling gemstones, including 345 aquamarines, 37 white topaz, 27 tourmalines, 12 rubies, seven amethysts, six sapphires, two jargoons, one garnet, one spinel, and one carbuncle.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 11 Apr. 2023
It’s been that way since the late 1960s, but if Kaktovik ain’t pretty, then Prudhoe—North America’s largest oil field—is a carbuncle in the permafrost.
—Jamie Lafferty, National Geographic, 29 Dec. 2021
The drama, in their view, is nothing less than a monstrous carbuncle on the face of British society.
—Meredith Blakestaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 8 Nov. 2022
But all that was knocked down half a century ago, to be replaced by a concrete carbuncle that destroyed the arch and chunks of nearby streets and has been making commuters miserable since 1968.
—The Economist, 8 Feb. 2020
This isn't Westeros; no one's out here massing troops on opposite sides of a meadow while the fat cats in the biggest tent play an oversized game of Risk and tend to their carbuncles.
—Peter Rubin, WIRED, 20 Aug. 2019
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Elizabeth Woolley, Verywell Health, 15 Apr. 2024
So, what will remain sitting there is an ugly carbuncle.
—Brian T. Allen, National Review, 23 Dec. 2023
But others, notably Staphylococcus aureus, cause a range of diseases, from pus-producing boils, carbuncles, and abscesses to food poisoning, osteomyelitis, and toxic shock syndrome.
—Mark Caldwell, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019
The solid gold frame is set with an assortment of dazzling gemstones, including 345 aquamarines, 37 white topaz, 27 tourmalines, 12 rubies, seven amethysts, six sapphires, two jargoons, one garnet, one spinel, and one carbuncle.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 11 Apr. 2023
It’s been that way since the late 1960s, but if Kaktovik ain’t pretty, then Prudhoe—North America’s largest oil field—is a carbuncle in the permafrost.
—Jamie Lafferty, National Geographic, 29 Dec. 2021
The drama, in their view, is nothing less than a monstrous carbuncle on the face of British society.
—Meredith Blakestaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 8 Nov. 2022
But all that was knocked down half a century ago, to be replaced by a concrete carbuncle that destroyed the arch and chunks of nearby streets and has been making commuters miserable since 1968.
—The Economist, 8 Feb. 2020
This isn't Westeros; no one's out here massing troops on opposite sides of a meadow while the fat cats in the biggest tent play an oversized game of Risk and tend to their carbuncles.
—Peter Rubin, WIRED, 20 Aug. 2019
Dictionary Entries Near carbuncle
Cite this Entry
“Carbuncle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carbuncle. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
carbuncle
noun
car·bun·cle
ˈkär-ˌbəŋ-kəl
1
: a rounded and polished garnet
2
: a painful inflammation of the skin and deeper tissues that releases pus from several openings compare boil entry 1
Medical Definition
carbuncle
noun
car·bun·cle
ˈkär-ˌbəŋ-kəl
: a painful local purulent inflammation of the skin and deeper tissues with multiple openings for the discharge of pus and usually necrosis and sloughing of dead tissue
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share