petechia

American  

[pi-tee-kee-uh, -tek-ee-uh] / pɪˈti ki ə, -ˈtɛk i ə /

noun

Pathology.

plural

petechiae

1. a minute, round, nonraised hemorrhage in the skin or in a mucous or serous membrane.

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petechia British  

/ pɪˈtiːkɪə /

noun

1. a minute discoloured spot on the surface of the skin or mucous membrane, caused by an underlying ruptured blood vessel

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Other Word Forms

• petechial adjective

Etymology

Origin of petechia

1575–85; < New Latin < Italian petecchia (in plural) rash, spots on skin < Vulgar Latin *( im ) petīcula, equivalent to Latin impetīc-, stem of impetīx, variant of impetīgō impetigo + -ula -ule