Meanings
- idiomaticuncountablemedicineAcute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis, a severe bacterial infection of the gums, typically characterized by inflammation, bleeding, deep ulceration, necrotized tissue, pain, fever, enlarged lymph nodes, fatigue, and halitosis.
Vincent's angina (or trench mouth) is a distinct form of ulcerative gingivitis.
2002, Itzhak Brook MD, “Anaerobic Bacteria in Upper Respiratory Tract and other Head and Neck Infections”, in Annals of Otology, Rhinology & Laryngology, volume 111, number 5, page 4331 more example
"Trench mouth" is one of the war diseases which is engaging the attention of British army doctors.
1918 June 17, “Discover New War Disease: British and French Soldiers Suffering from ‘Trench Mouth’”, in New York Times, retrieved 07 Jan 2009, page 7Synonyms: acute membranous gingivitis, acute ulcerative gingivitis, fusospirillosis, fusospirochetal gingivitis, phagedenic gingivitis, ulcerative gingivitis, Plaut-Vincent angina, Vincent's angina
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAcute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis, a severe bacterial infection of the gums, typically characterized by inflammation, bleeding, deep ulceration, necrotized tissue, pain, fever, enlarged lymph nodes, fatigue, and halitosis.
More synonyms by meaning
nounan acute communicable infection of the respiratory tract and mouth marked by ulceration of the mucous membrane
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Probably coined during World War I when the disease was common among soldiers in the trenches during trench warfare.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
trench mouth. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/trench%20mouth
“trench mouth.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/trench%20mouth. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “trench mouth,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/trench%20mouth.
Source: trench mouth on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.