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fes·ter

(fĕstər)

v. fes·tered, fes·ter·ing, fes·ters

v. intr.

1. To generate pus; suppurate.

2. To form an ulcer.

3. To undergo decay; rot.

a. To be or become an increasing source of irritation or poisoning; rankle: bitterness that festered and grew.

b. To be subject to or exist in a condition of decline: allowed the once beautiful park to fester.

v. tr.

To infect, inflame, or corrupt.

A small festering sore or ulcer; a pustule.

[Middle English festren, from festre, fistula, from Old French, from Latin fistula; see FISTULA.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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