barn gun

noun

ˈbärnən
dialectal, England
: a skin eruption
specifically : shingles

Word History

Etymology

English dialect barn (alteration of burn) + dialect gun, gund scab, from Old English gund- matter, pus; akin to Old High German gunt pus, Norwegian gund dandruff, scab, Gothic, cancerous tumor, and probably to Greek kanthylē swelling, tumor

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Cite this Entry

“Barn gun.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/barn%20gun. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

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