# abscess

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈæbsɛs/ · frequency rank #36,413

## Definitions
1. A cavity caused by tissue destruction, usually because of infection, filled with pus and surrounded by inflamed tissue.

## Etymology
From Latin abscessus (“a going away; gathering of humors, abscess”), from abscēdō (“go away, depart”), from abs (“away from”) + cēdō (“go”). See cede.

## Easily confused with
- **access** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/abscess-vs-access)
- **assess** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/abscess-vs-assess)

## Common misspellings (9)
`abbscess`, `abcsess`, `absccess`, `absces`, `abscses`, `absecss`, `absscess`, `asbcess`, `bascess`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/abscess