BULLA (bullae)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected form: bullae   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does bulla mean? 

• BULLA (noun)
  The noun BULLA has 2 senses:

1. (pathology) an elevation of the skin filled with serous fluid

2. the round leaden seal affixed to a papal bull

  Familiarity information: BULLA used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BULLA (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

(pathology) an elevation of the skin filled with serous fluid

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Synonyms:

bleb; blister; bulla

Hypernyms ("bulla" is a kind of...):

cyst; vesicle (a small anatomically normal sac or bladderlike structure (especially one containing fluid))

Domain category:

pathology (the branch of medical science that studies the causes and nature and effects of diseases)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "bulla"):

water blister (blister containing a nonpurulent clear watery content)

blood blister (blister containing blood or bloody serum usually caused by an injury)

pustule (a small inflamed elevation of skin containing pus; a blister filled with pus)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The round leaden seal affixed to a papal bull

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("bulla" is a kind of...):

seal; stamp (a device incised to make an impression; used to secure a closing or to authenticate documents)

 Context examples 

Inflammation of the skin characterized by the presence of bullae which are filled with fluid.

(Bullous Dermatitis, NCI Thesaurus)

A skin and mucous membrane disease characterized by an eruption of macules, papules, nodules, vesicles, and/or bullae with characteristic bull's-eye lesions usually occurring on the dorsal aspect of the hands and forearms.

(Erythema Multiforme, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

A usually mild form of diphtheria characterized by infection of the skin by corynebacterium diphtheria and the resulting formation of a chronic, shallow ulcer that is sometimes bordered or followed by a bulla.

(Cutaneous Diphtheria, NCI Thesaurus)