What does eczema mean?
Eczema is a common inflammatory condition of the skin in which affected areas become dry, red, intensely itchy, and sometimes cracked or blistered. The most frequent type, atopic eczema, tends to run in families alongside asthma and hay fever, though irritants, stress, and allergens can also trigger flare-ups. The word functions only as a mass noun — one does not usually speak of counting individual cases of it on a person's body — and its adjective form, 'eczematous', appears mainly in medical writing. Although eczema is not contagious and cannot be cured outright, it can usually be managed with moisturizers, topical anti-inflammatory treatments, and careful avoidance of triggers. Because so many people experience it firsthand or through family members, 'eczema' is a word that moves easily between the doctor's office and ordinary conversation.
nounA medical condition in which patches of skin become inflamed, itchy, red, and rough, sometimes forming blisters that crack and weep. It is the most common form of inflammatory skin disease and often occurs in people prone to allergies or asthma.
- A chronic or recurrent inflammatory skin condition causing itchy, red, cracked, or blistering patches; especially atopic dermatitis.
- Any of various related forms of dermatitis (e.g., contact eczema, seborrheic eczema) sharing this pattern of itchy inflammation.
"Her eczema flared up whenever she was under stress, leaving her arms raw and itchy."
"Bathing in lukewarm water with a gentle cleanser helped keep her baby's eczema under control."
"Contact eczema can develop in adults who handle detergents or solvents without gloves."
Rarely pluralized; normally treated as uncountable. A plural may appear in clinical writing to refer to multiple distinct varieties of the condition.
"Dermatologists classify the various eczemas according to their causes and appearance."
The word eczema literally means 'to boil over' in Greek — an apt description of skin that seems to bubble up in angry, weeping patches.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of eczema
Eczema comes from the Greek 'ekzema', formed from 'ek-' ('out') and 'zein' ('to boil'), literally meaning 'something that boils over' — a vivid image of inflamed skin erupting and weeping. The term passed into medical Latin before entering English in the mid-eighteenth century. Its Greek roots link it to words such as 'enzyme' (from the same verb zein) and to the prefix 'ek-', seen in words like 'eccentric' and 'ecstatic'.
Related word forms
How eczema is actually used
A medical but widely understood term, used both clinically and in everyday speech. In strict medical usage, doctors may distinguish 'eczema' broadly as a group of inflammatory conditions from 'dermatitis', though the two terms are often used interchangeably. The adjective form is 'eczematous'.
Easily confused with eczema
Psoriasis is a different chronic skin disease marked by thick, scaly silvery plaques caused by rapid skin-cell turnover, whereas eczema typically produces red, intensely itchy, inflamed patches.