empyema

[ em-pee-ee-muh, -pahy- ]

noun

, Pathology.

1. a collection of pus in a body cavity, especially the pleural cavity.

empyema

/ ˌɛmpaɪˈiːmə /

noun

1. a collection of pus in a body cavity, esp in the chest

Derived Forms

• ˌempyˈemic, adjective

Other Words From

• empy·emic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of empyema¹

1605–15; < Late Latin < Greek empýēma abscess, equivalent to em- em- ² + pyē- (variant stem of pyeîn to suppurate, akin to pýon, pýos pus) + -ma noun suffix denoting result of action

Word History and Origins

Origin of empyema¹

C17: from Medieval Latin, from Greek empuēma abscess, from empuein to suppurate, from puon pus

Example Sentences

He said she died as a result of bronchopneumonia with empyema due to invasive streptococcal infection.

From BBC

The infection had formed an abscess called an empyema, which triggered the seizures.

From Washington Post

The first, published this week in Pediatrics, looked at pneumonia, sinusitis and empyema hospitalizations in children under 5 in Sweden’s Stockholm County between 2003 and 2012.

From Forbes

Murchison refers to three cases in which it was followed by empyema.

From Project Gutenberg

He resisted this very well, but eventually died rather suddenly of an empyema.

From Project Gutenberg