petechia

pe·te·chi·a  (p-tk-)

n. pl. pe·te·chi·ae (-k-)

A small purplish spot on a body surface, such as the skin or a mucous membrane, caused by a minute hemorrhage and often seen in typhus.

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[New Latin, from Italian petecchie, pl. of petecchia, spot on skin, perhaps from Vulgar Latin *petcula, short for *impetcula, diminutive of Latin impetx, impetc-, variant of impetg; see impetigo.]

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pe·techi·al adj.

pe·techi·ate (-t) adj.

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petechia [pɪˈtiːkɪə]

n pl -chiae [-kɪˌiː]

(Medicine / Pathology) a minute discoloured spot on the surface of the skin or mucous membrane, caused by an underlying ruptured blood vessel

[via New Latin from Italian petecchia freckle, of obscure origin]

petechial  adj

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

petechia - a minute red or purple spot on the surface of the skin as the result of tiny hemorrhages of blood vessels in the skin (as in typhoid fever) bruise, contusion - an injury that doesn't break the skin but results in some discoloration