wart

wart
warted, adj.wartless, adj.
/wawrt/, n.
1. a small, often hard, abnormal elevation on the skin, usually caused by a papomavirus.
2. any small protuberance, as on the surface of certain plants, the skin of certain animals, etc.
3. any unattractive detrimental feature or aspect: The biography presents the full story of the prime minister's political career, warts and all.
[bef. 900; ME; OE wearte; c. G Warze, ON varta; akin to L verruca wart]

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Well-defined growth on the skin, usually caused by a papillomavirus, which triggers overproduction of epidermal cells.

This may lead to a single long-standing wart, profuse local spread (especially in moist areas), or warts in various parts of the body. The most common type is a round bump with a dry, rough surface. Warts are usually painless except in pressure areas, such as the sole of the foot (plantar wart). Genital warts are merely a nuisance unless they become large or numerous enough to interfere with urination, defecation, or childbirth, but some viral strains are associated with cervical cancer. Warts are considered contagious. They may be removed by applying acids, cryotherapy, electrocautery, or surgery; they sometimes disappear spontaneously.

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also called  verruca 

      a well-defined growth of varying shape and size on the skin surface, caused by a virus. Essentially an infectious, benign skin tumour, a wart is composed of an abnormal proliferation of cells of the epidermis; the overproduction of these cells is caused by the viral infection. The most common type of wart is a round, raised lesion having a dry and rough surface; flat or threadlike lesions are also seen. Warts are common and usually painless, except for those in pressure areas, such as the plantar warts occurring on the sole of the foot. They may occur as isolated lesions or grow profusely, especially in moist regions of the body surface. Genital warts, or condylomata acuminata, are wartlike growths in the pubic area that are accompanied by itching and discharge.

      Warts have been studied at least since the time of Aulus Cornelius Celsus (Celsus, Aulus Cornelius), the great Roman medical writer, in the 1st century AD, and they continue to interest researchers and challenge the therapeutic skills of experienced physicians. Warts are caused by a family of viruses known as human papillomaviruses, some of which have been shown to cause cervical cancer. A single wart may persist for many years without change, or it may spread and give rise to satellite warts in other parts of the body. Warts are considered contagious. Methods of treatment are many but are generally aimed at removing the wart with a minimum of scarring. These methods include the application of acids or other chemicals that gradually dissolve the wart, cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen, and, rarely, surgical excision, which remains the quickest procedure. Genital warts are sometimes treated with the application of podophyllin, a toxic substance derived from the mayapple. Warts sometimes disappear spontaneously.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Wart — Wart, n. [OE. werte, AS. wearte; akin to D. wrat, G. warze, OHG. warza, Icel. varta, Sw. v[*a]rta, Dan. vorte; perh. orig., a growth, and akin to E. wort; or cf. L. verruca wart.] [1913 Webster] 1. (Med.) A small, usually hard, tumor on the skin… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Wart — ist ein Stadtteil von Altensteig im Landkreis Calw. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Lage 2 Wappen 3 Geschichte 4 Wirtschaft …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • wart — (2. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum von 2sein); ihr wart   • wart / ward Die 2. Person Plural von sein endet im Indikativ Präteritum auf t: [ihr] wart. Mit d dagegen endet die ältere Form der 1. und 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum von… …   Die deutsche Rechtschreibung

  • wart|y — «WR tee», adjective, wart|i|er, wart|i|est. 1. having warts. 2. covered with lumps like warts. 3. of or like a wart …   Useful english dictionary

  • Wart — Sm Wächter, Hüter . Fast nur in Zusammensetzungen, in denen es neuhochdeutsch meist die Bedeutung Verantwortlicher für hat (Kassenwart usw.) erw. obs. (8. Jh.), mhd. wart(e), ahd. wart, as. ward Stammwort. Aus g. * warda m. Hüter , auch in gt.… …   Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen sprache

  • wart — (n.) O.E. wearte, from P.Gmc. *warton (Cf. O.N. varta, O.Fris. warte, Du. wrat, O.H.G. warza, Ger. warze wart ), from PIE root *wer (Cf. L. verruca swelling, wart; see VARY (Cf. vary)). Phrase …   Etymology dictionary

  • Wart — Wart: Mhd., ahd. wart, got. daúra wards (»Türhüter«), aengl. weard (↑ Steward), aisl. vo̧rđr gehören mit der unter ↑ Warte behandelten Substantivbildung zu der Wortgruppe von ↑ wahren. Im heutigen dt. Sprachgebrauch ist »Wart« hauptsächlich in… …   Das Herkunftswörterbuch

  • wart — {{/stl 13}}{{stl 8}}przym. Ia, warci, zwykle w M. w funkcji orzecznika {{/stl 8}}{{stl 20}} {{/stl 20}}{{stl 12}}1. {{/stl 12}}{{stl 7}} mający pewną wartość materialną : {{/stl 7}}{{stl 10}}Przedmiot wart 100 zł. {{/stl 10}}{{stl 20}} {{/stl… …   Langenscheidt Polski wyjaśnień

  • wart — [wôrt] n. [ME warte < OE wearte, akin to Ger warze < IE base * wer , a raised place > L verruca, wart, VARIX] 1. a small, usually hard, tumorous growth on the skin, caused by a virus 2. any small protuberance, as a glandular protuberance …   English World dictionary

  • wart|ed — «WR tihd», adjective. having a wart or warts; verrucose …   Useful english dictionary

  • Wart [1] — Wart, ein vom Strom angesetztes, meist mit Weiden bepflanztes Stück Land, daher solches Buschholz Wartholz …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

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