English medical vocabulary

English words and phrases connected with injury.

Boil = infected swelling with liquid inside it: "You'll need to go to the doctor to have that boil lanced." (lance - puncture and clean)

Lump = swelling: "I have a strange lump on my arm. I wonder what caused it."

Rash = allergic reaction which makes your skin go red: "When she used the soap her skin came out in a rash."

Scab = dry skin that forms over a cut: "Don't pick at your scab - you might make it bleed."

Spot = red mark on the skin (much smaller than a boil): "When he was a teenager he had a lot of spots."

Swelling = an irritation or infection that makes the skin rise: "After the wasp stung her, she had a swelling on her leg for days."

These words can be used as nouns and verbs

Bruise = when the skin goes blue and yellow: "She fell down the stairs and bruised her arm."
"He has a bruise just under his eye."

Bump = when you hit yourself and get a slight swelling:
"Ow! I bumped my head on the desk!"
"It's only a little bump - nothing serious."

Cut = when something sharp breaks your skin and you bleed: "He cut himself badly on the bread knife."
"Fortunately, nobody was seriously injured in the accident. There were only a few cuts and bruises."
"She got a nasty cut on her hand while she was diving."

Gash = deep cut: "He gashed his hand badly on a piece of broken glass."
"That's a nasty gash. You might need stitches."

Graze = slight cut - not enough to bleed much: "When she was little, she was always grazing her knee."
"I got a small graze on my hand when I fell onto some gravel."

Itch = when a part of your body makes you want to scratch it: "My eyes are itching - this atmosphere is too smoky for me."
"I've got a terrible itch where the mosquito bit me. "

Scratch = like a graze, but more painful: "The cat scratched me - it stings a little."
"He was picking berries and got a couple of scratches from the thorns."

Sprain = twist a part of your body: "She sprained her ankle when she slipped on the ice."
"My ankle looks swollen, but it's only a minor sprain."