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SCROFULA
Definition of SCROFULA
noun
A form of tuberculosis, most common in women 30-40 years of age, tending to cause enlarged and degenerated lymph nodes, especially in the neck, and often chronic, intractable skin inflammation as well.
Wiktionary · CC BY-SA
Other senses
SCROFULA carries 4 further meanings.
noun
A form of tuberculosis affecting the lymph nodes, especially of the neck, that is most common in children and is usually spread by unpasteurized milk from infected cows.
noun
A constitutional disorder, especially in the young, expressing itself in lymphadenitis, especially glandular swellings in the neck, with a tendency to cheesy degeneration, inflammations of various joints, mucous membranes, and other structures, together with other less distinct indications of feeble health.
noun
A constitutional disease, generally hereditary, especially manifested by chronic enlargement and cheesy degeneration of the lymphatic glands, particularly those of the neck, and marked by a tendency to the development of chronic intractable inflammations of the skin, mucous membrane, bones, joints, and other parts, and by a diminution in the power of resistance to disease or injury and the capacity for recovery. Scrofula is now generally held to be tuberculous in character, and may develop into general or local tuberculosis (consumption).
noun
A form of tuberculosis, most common in children, tending to cause enlarged and degenerated lymph glands, especially in the neck, and often chronic, intractable skin inflammation as well.
Where it comes from
Borrowed from Latin scrōfulae, a diminutive form of scrōfa (“breeding sow”), because swine were supposed to be subject to the complaint; or by fanciful comparison of the glandular swellings to little pigs.
Etymology via Wiktionary (CC BY-SA).
Word DNA
Line of descent
- Latin
- English
One recorded step before English.
Deepest traced root
1st
of 59 source languages in OUTLIER
33.1%
of traced words share this origin (9,860)
branch · 33.1% of traced words
How it is built
OUTLIER scores every word on how unusual it is, and that number is not published. Working it out at the board is the game.
SCROFULA in OUTLIER
Players have found it on 56 boards so far. 179 players have found it across Outlier's history.
It first turned up on Day 30, 19 June 2026. The most recent board was Day 150, 17 October 2026. Nobody has seen it on a board for 2 days.
First ever to find it
on Day 30, 19 June 2026 - before anyone else in Outlier's history. See the Pioneers
Built from these letters
SCROFULA starts with S and ends with A. Sorted, its letters read ACFLORSU - the shape to hunt for when the grid is scrambled. No letter is used twice, which makes it an isogram.
Words that mean much the same
Near-synonyms of SCROFULA. Not interchangeable at the board - the grid decides that - but close in meaning.
Words that start SCROFU
Its neighbours in the OUTLIER dictionary - shortest first.
Also seen on Day 30
Could you have found SCROFULA?
OUTLIER is a daily word game. One grid, the same grid for everybody, and the words nobody else spots are the ones that pay. This word was on Day 30 - and most players walked straight past it.
Play today's OUTLIER