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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

carbuncle en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /ˈkɑɹˌbʌŋ.kl̩/ (General-American)
  • (US) audio
  • /ˈkɑː.bʌŋ.kl̩/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Middle English carbuncle, charbocle, from Old French carbuncle, charbuncle, from Latin carbunculus (“a small coal; a reddish kind of precious stone; a kind of tumor”), diminutive of carbō (“a coal, charcoal”). Doublet of Garfinkel and Garfunkel.

Meanings

  1. (archaic) A deep-red or fiery colored garnet or other dark red precious stone, especially when cut cabochon.
    • And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Isaiah 54:12:
    • These are usually represented as short and stumpy with shaggy hair, dark wrinkled faces, little deep-set eyes, but bright as carbuncles. 1850, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, London: H.G. Bohn, page 432:
    • His turban, or mandil [mandīl], was of finest white silk interwoven with gold, bestudded with pearl[s] and carbuncles; […] 1634, Thomas Herbert, A Relation of Some Yeares Trauaile, Begunne Anno 1626. Into Afrique and the Greater Asia, especially the Territories of the Persian Monarchie: And some Parts of the Orientall Indies, and Iles Adiacent. Of their Religion, Language, Habit, Discent, Ceremonies, and other Matters Concerning Them: Together with the Proceedings and Death of the Three Late Ambassadours: Sir D. C[otton] Sir R. S[herley] and the Persian Nogdi-Beg: As also the Two Great Monarchs, the King of Persia, and the Great Mogol, London: William Stansby for Iacob Bloome, →OCLC; republished as William Foster, editor, Travels in Persia 1627–1629. Abridged and Edited by Sir William Foster … with an Introduction and Notes (Broadway Travellers), London: G. Routledge & Sons, 1928, →OCLC, page 79:
    • With eyes like carbuncles, the hellish Pyrrhus […] 1602, William Shakespeare, Hamlet, act II, scene 2, line 401:
    • A piece of marigold or bay leaf was imbedded in the metal, and over it a carbuncle or chrysolite was placed. 1936, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, London: Long, page 155:
  2. A charge or bearing supposed to represent the precious stone, with eight sceptres or staves radiating from a common centre; an escarbuncle.
  3. An abscess larger than a boil, usually with one or more openings draining pus onto the skin. It is usually caused by staphylococcal infection.
  4. An unpopular or ugly building; an eyesore.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
carbuncles Number=Plur lexicographic

Deriveds

carbuncled

Relateds

carbon · ruby

Translations (60)

nb karfunkel (precious stone) · ga carrmhogal (precious stone) · he נֹפֶךְ (precious stone) · ang angset (abscess) · ga carbuncal (abscess) · ja 癰 (abscess) · yi גאָרפֿינקל (precious stone) · oge ანთრაკი (precious stone) · nl karbonkel (abscess) · ga carrmhogal (abscess) · da brandbyld (abscess) · ms bisul (abscess) · fr carboucle (precious stone) · fro carbuncle (precious stone) · de Karbunkel (abscess) · enm carbuncle (precious stone) · mic glmuej (abscess) · ca carboncle (precious stone) · mi tāpoa (abscess) · ms batu merah (precious stone) · gl carbunco (abscess) · nl karbonkel (precious stone) · enm carbuncle (abscess) · es carbunclo (precious stone) · unm pëmuwe (abscess) · gd càrrmhogal (precious stone) · gd neasgaid (abscess) · es carbúnculo (precious stone) · pl karbunkuł (precious stone) · mi maiao (abscess) · gv carbuncle (precious stone) · myv мазыкев (precious stone) · gl carbúnculo (precious stone) · grc ἄνθραξ (abscess) · bg гранат (precious stone) · yi גאָרפֿינקל (abscess) · da byld (abscess) · id karbunkel (abscess) · mi kapakara (precious stone) · ro carbuncul (abscess) · ru карбункул (abscess) · pl karbunkuł (abscess) · ka ტოპაზი (precious stone) · pt granado oriental (precious stone) · cy cornwyd (abscess) · cmn 癰 /痈 (abscess) · fi ajospahka (abscess) · cy carbwncl (precious stone) · gl nacida (abscess) · la carbunculus (abscess) · grc ἄνθραξ (precious stone) · sv böld (abscess) · de Karfunkel (precious stone) · el ψευδάνθρακας (abscess) · cy carbwncl (abscess) · bg цирей (abscess) · kk көршиқан (abscess) · da karfunkel (precious stone) · la carbunculus (precious stone) · gv pluccan mooar (abscess)

wikidata: Q12108659 · wikidata: Q959922 · wikipedia: carbuncle