Meanings
plural scrofulas · plural scrofulae · plural scrofulæ · alternative obsolete scrophula
- countableuncountablemedicineA form of tuberculosis, most common in women 30-40 years of age, tending to cause enlarged and degenerated lymph nodes, especially in the neck, and often chronic, intractable skin inflammation as well.
1 more example
1970: R.H.C. Davis A History of Medieval Europe Longman: SBN 582482089. P298. "(In 1100) It (The Church) relied on the king (of France) for protection and in return gave him authority. It even ..gave support for the claim that by his royal touch, he could miraculously cure the scrofula. (A similar claim was made for the kings of England, and was exercised till the reign of Queen Anne; one of the last people to be cured in that way being Dr. Johnson.)
Synonyms: scrofulosis, king's evil, struma
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA form of tuberculosis, most common in women 30-40 years of age, tending to cause enlarged and degenerated lymph nodes, especially in the neck, and often chronic, intractable skin inflammation as well.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna form of tuberculosis characterized by swellings of the lymphatic glands
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinscrōfulae
- Englishscrofula
Borrowed from Latin scrōfulae, a diminutive form of scrōfa (“breeding sow”), because swine were supposed to be subject to the complaint; or by fanciful comparison of the glandular swellings to little pigs.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian живеница, скрофула
- живеница (živenica)form of tuberculosis
- скрофула (skrofula)form of tuberculosis
Catalan botornons, escròfula
- botornonsform of tuberculosis
- escròfulaform of tuberculosis
Chinese Mandarin 瘰癧 /瘰疬
- 瘰癧 /瘰疬 (luǒlì)form of tuberculosis
Dutch scrofulose
- scrofuloseform of tuberculosis
Finnish risatauti
- risatautiform of tuberculosis
French écrouelles, scrofule
- écrouellesform of tuberculosis
- scrofuleform of tuberculosis
German Skrofeln, Skrofulose
- Skrofelnform of tuberculosis
- Skrofuloseform of tuberculosis
Icelandic eitlakröm
- eitlakrömform of tuberculosis
Irish easpa bhrád, gad brád
- easpa bhrádform of tuberculosis
- gad brádform of tuberculosis
Italian scrofola
- scrofolaform of tuberculosis
Japanese 瘰癧
- 瘰癧 (ruireki)form of tuberculosis
Latin scrofula
- scrofulaform of tuberculosis
Māori hore
- horeform of tuberculosis
Portuguese escrófula
- escrófulaform of tuberculosis
Russian золоту́ха
- золоту́ха (zolotúxa)form of tuberculosis
Spanish escrófula
- escrófulaform of tuberculosis
Swahili mlezi
- mleziform of tuberculosis
Turkish sıraca
- sıracaform of tuberculosis
Cite this entry
scrofula. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scrofula
“scrofula.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scrofula. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “scrofula,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scrofula.
Source: scrofula on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.