Dictionary 1. (n.) A corroding or sloughing ulcer; esp. a spreading gangrenous ulcer or collection of ulcers in or about the mouth; -- called also water canker, canker of the mouth, and noma.2. (n.) Anything which corrodes, corrupts, or destroy. 3. (n.) A disease incident to trees, causing the bark to rot and fall off. 4. (n.) An obstinate and often incurable disease of a horse's foot, characterized by separation of the horny portion and the development of fungous growths; -- usually resulting from neglected thrush. 5. (n.) A kind of wild, worthless rose; the dog-rose. 6. (v. t.) To affect as a canker; to eat away; to corrode; to consume. 7. (v. t.) To infect or pollute; to corrupt. 8. (v. i.) To waste away, grow rusty, or be oxidized, as a mineral. 9. (v. i.) To be or become diseased, or as if diseased, with canker; to grow corrupt; to become venomous. Thesaurus abscess adulterate alloy aposteme bed sore blain blast bleb blight blister boil break up bubo bulla bunion cancer canker sore carbuncle chancre chancroid cheapen chilblain coarsen cold sore confound contaminate corrode corrupt crumble crumble into dust debase debauch decay decompose defile deflower degenerate degrade demoralize denature deprave desecrate despoil devalue disintegrate distort dry rot eat eat away eat into erode eschar fall into decay fall to pieces felon fester festering fever blister fistula fungus furuncle furunculus gangrene gathering gnaw go bad go to pieces gumboil hemorrhoids infect kibe lesion mildew misuse mold molder mortify moth moth and rust must necrose nibble away oxidize papula papule paronychia parulis pervert pest petechia piles pimple pock poison pollute polyp prostitute pustule putrefy putresce rankle ravage ravish rising rot rust scab smut soft chancre sore sphacelate spoil stain stigma sty suppurate suppuration swelling taint tubercle twist ulcer ulcerate ulceration violate vitiate vulgarize wale warp welt wheal whelk whitlow worm wound |