What does sudor mean?
Sudor is a rare formal noun meaning sweat or perspiration. It is encountered particularly in medical descriptions of bodily secretions, although older literary writers also used it in broader contexts. For example, a clinical report may describe profuse sudor, while a work of literature might mention beads of sweat without using the more familiar word. The term conveys a precise or technical tone and can sound archaic outside specialized writing. In modern everyday English, sweat is normally preferred for the liquid produced by the sweat glands, while perspiration is often used in a similar or slightly more formal register. Sudor is useful chiefly for readers of medical writing and older texts, where it may function as a synonym for sweat with an elevated or diagnostic character.
nounSweat or perspiration, especially in a medical or formal context. The term is now uncommon in ordinary modern English.
- Sweat or perspiration, especially when considered as a bodily secretion in medical or formal writing.
"A sheen of sudor gathered across his forehead."
"The clinical description recorded profuse sudor and a rapid pulse."
"She wiped away the sudor from her neck with a linen cloth."
The plural is rare and usually appears only in formal or older writing; sweat is normally uncountable.
"The medical notes described repeated sudors during the night."
Sudor passed directly into English from Latin, where it simply meant sweat.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sudor come from?
Sudor was borrowed from Latin, where it meant “sweat” and was related to sudare, “to sweat.” The English word appeared in medical and literary usage, but its frequency declined as sweat became the standard everyday term. English also contains several Latin-derived words associated with the same root, including sudarium, a cloth for wiping sweat, and sudorific, something that induces sweating.
Related word forms
How sudor is actually used
Sudor is rare in contemporary English and chiefly occurs in medical, scientific, or elevated literary writing. In neutral everyday speech, sweat is the usual word.
Easily confused with sudor
Sudor means sweat or perspiration, whereas odor means a smell or scent.