脓 (nóng) - pus — a thick yellowish or greenish opaque

脓Tone 2

nóng ｜ 10 strokes ｜ radical:

柠七

脓 · nóng

pus — a thick yellowish or greenish opaque liquid produced in infected tissue, consisting of dead white blood cells and bacteria with tissue debris and serum.

pus — a thick yellowish or greenish opaque

Usage highlights

puspus formation/suppurationdrain puspus cavitypus cellthick pus

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • 血— blood (healthy bodily fluid vs. pathological discharge)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The wound was oozing pus (脓).
  • He had a pus-filled abscess (脓包).
  • The infection caused pus formation (化脓).
  • The doctor drained the pus (排脓).

Collocations

  • pus(脓)
  • pus-filled abscess(脓包)
  • pus formation/suppuration(化脓)
  • drain pus(排脓)
  • pus cavity(脓腔)
  • pus cell(脓细胞)

Idioms

  • A boil comes to a head before bursting(脓包熟了总要穿)
  • Squeeze out pus and blood(挤脓挤血)
  • The sore that has festered most is the one that must be lanced first(脓包早晚要出头的)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In traditional Chinese medicine, pus is seen as a manifestation of toxic heat and dampness in the body.
  • The character contains the 'flesh' radical (月), indicating its relation to bodily substances.
  • In historical contexts, pus was often mentioned in military and medical texts describing battle wounds and infections.

FAQ