third-degree burn

noun

: a severe burn characterized by destruction of the skin through its deeper layers and possibly into underlying tissues, loss of fluid, and sometimes shock

Examples of third-degree burn in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Trying to help his grandmother, David’s teenage son also sustained third-degree burns. —Justine McDaniel, Washington Post, 22 Aug. 2023

People got third-degree burns from sustained contact with pavement. —Geraldo Cadava, The New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2023

Heintz was rushed by UCAN to University of Chicago for treatment of second- and third-degree burns on his body, and the case was turned over to the Indiana State Fire Marshal, who found that gas pipes had been cut, records said. —Michelle L. Quinn, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2023

David Villela, center, spent weeks at the UMC Lions Burn Care Center after suffering a third-degree burn on his left foot. —Sarah Toy, WSJ, 26 July 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1930, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

third-degree burn

noun

: a burn in which the whole thickness of the skin and sometimes underlying tissues are destroyed with loss of fluid and often shock

Medical Definition

third-degree burn

noun

third-de·​gree burn ˈthərd-di-ˌgrē-ˈ 

: a severe burn characterized by destruction of the skin through the depth of the dermis and possibly into underlying tissues, loss of fluid, and sometimes shock