Dictionary

quinsy en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈkwɪnzi/

Etymology

From Middle English quinesye, from Old French quinencie, from Medieval Latin quinancia, from Ancient Greek κυνάγχη (kunánkhē, “canine quinsy”), from κύων (kúōn, “dog”) + ἄγχω (ánkhō, “throttle”). Doublet of cynanche.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) A peritonsillar abscess; a painful pus-filled inflammation or abscess of the tonsils and surrounding tissues, usually a complication of tonsillitis, caused by bacterial infection and often accompanied by fever.
   • b False. Quinsies are found at the back of the throat on either side of the uvula along the tonsils. c True. A quinsy grows as it swells with pus. This space-occupying effect can push the uvula away from it towards the opposite side. 2010, Gurdeep Singh Mannu, Tunde Odutoye, ENT MCQs for Medical Students: With Explanatory Answers, page 130:
   • He'd had the quinsy and swollen glands when he was young, he told me, and it had left him with a weal throat, and a hesitating, whispering fashion of speech. 1891 [September], A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Adventure III.—A Case of Identity.”, in Geo[rge] Newnes, editor, The Strand Magazine: An Illustrated Monthly, volume II (July to December), number [9], London: […], page 251, column 2:
   • The patient may have cervical lymphadenopathy, trismus (moderate to severe increases suggestive of quinsy in acute setting), erythema of tonsils, crypt debris in tonsils or purulence of tonsils. 2011, Kerryn Phelps, Craig Hassed, General Practice: The Integrative Approach, page 317:

Forms

Deriveds

quinsied · quinsywort · quinsyberry

Descendants

cwins

Synonyms

angina · squinancy · squinzey · squinzy

Translations (17)

ro amigdalită (painful pus-filled inflammation or abscess of the tonsils and surrounding tissues) · ga sceith aincise (painful pus-filled inflammation or abscess of the tonsils and surrounding tissues) · ro anghină (painful pus-filled inflammation or abscess of the tonsils and surrounding tissues) · la angina (painful pus-filled inflammation or abscess of the tonsils and surrounding tissues) · ro gâlci (painful pus-filled inflammation or abscess of the tonsils and surrounding tissues) · nrf stchinnancie (painful pus-filled inflammation or abscess of the tonsils and surrounding tissues) · eo angino (painful pus-filled inflammation or abscess of the tonsils and surrounding tissues) · ru анги́на (painful pus-filled inflammation or abscess of the tonsils and surrounding tissues) · hu tüszős mandulagyulladás (painful pus-filled inflammation or abscess of the tonsils and surrounding tissues) · ru жа́ба (painful pus-filled inflammation or abscess of the tonsils and surrounding tissues) · bg ангина (painful pus-filled inflammation or abscess of the tonsils and surrounding tissues) · ka ანგინა (painful pus-filled inflammation or abscess of the tonsils and surrounding tissues) · mi katirehe (painful pus-filled inflammation or abscess of the tonsils and surrounding tissues) · cs peritonzilární absces (painful pus-filled inflammation or abscess of the tonsils and surrounding tissues) · mi katitohe (painful pus-filled inflammation or abscess of the tonsils and surrounding tissues) · it squinanzia (painful pus-filled inflammation or abscess of the tonsils and surrounding tissues) · gd at-bràghad (painful pus-filled inflammation or abscess of the tonsils and surrounding tissues)