purpura

[ pur-pyoor-uh ]

noun

, Pathology.

1. a disease characterized by purple or brownish-red spots on the skin or mucous membranes, caused by the extravasation of blood.

purpura

/ ˈpɜːpjʊrə /

noun

1. pathol any of several blood diseases causing purplish spots or patches on the skin due to subcutaneous bleeding

Derived Forms

• ˈpurpuric, adjective

Other Words From

• pur·pu·ric [pur-, pyoor, -ik], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of purpura¹

1680–90; < New Latin, special use of Latin purpura. See purple

Word History and Origins

Origin of purpura¹

C18: via Latin from Greek porphura a shellfish yielding purple dye

Example Sentences

The most celebrated was “purpura,” which turned into a fashion phenom made with secretions of certain mollusks.

From Seattle Times

She now suffers from bone problems, memory loss and has been diagnosed with immune thrombocytopenic purpura, a condition that causes the number of platelets in the blood to be reduced.

From The Guardian

Romeo had complained of leg pains before he was diagnosed with purpura fulminans, a thrombotic condition that causes necrosis and blood coagulation.

From BBC

Nicholas Thompson, the boy’s father, told the news outlet that doctors described the symptom as purpura, but couldn’t determine the type of bacteria causing it.

From Fox News

It occurred in February in a man in his 70s who recovered from Zika but succumbed to immune thrombocytopenic purpura, another type of autoimmune reaction.

From New York Times