eschar
/ˈɛskɑː/
"eschar" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“eschar” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 6
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A superficial structure of dead tissue, usually hardened, and commonly but not necessarily dark, adhering to underlying living or necrotic tissue, caused by gangrene or a burn.
Corpus desk
Index EN-eschar · eschar · English
eschar · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-LONG 6 letters
- VOW-2 2 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "E" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | eschar |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈɛskɑː/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “eschar” in English
Rare enough to double-check
eschar is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈɛskɑː/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.
eschar doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French eschare (now escarre) or Late Latin eschara (“scar, scab”), from Ancient Greek ἐσχάρα (eskhára, “hearth, brazier, scab”). Doublet of scar. The correct English form is eschar, spelled E-S-C-H-A-R.
Definition
- 1A superficial structure of dead tissue, usually hardened, and commonly but not necessarily dark, adhering to underlying living or necrotic tissue, caused by gangrene or a burn.
- 2Any hard, dark, commonly flattened or sunken lesion or crust, especially on a burn, abscess, infection, wound; commonly a coagulation of blood or exudations, not necessarily involving dead or necrotic tissue.
- 3The emotional imprint of a trauma such as grief, loss, or degradation.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how eschar appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
...stable intact eschar on the heels should not be removed. Blood flow in the tissue under the eschar is poor and the wound is susceptible to infection. The eschar acts as a natural barrier to infection by keeping the bacteria from entering the wound. If the eschar becomes unstable (wet, draining, loose, boggy, edematous, red) it should be debrided accord…
When the caustic is removed, the eschar should be punctured for the discharge of the matter, and then dressed with warm emollient poultices...
Etymology
From Middle French eschare (now escarre) or Late Latin eschara (“scar, scab”), from Ancient Greek ἐσχάρα (eskhára, “hearth, brazier, scab”). Doublet of scar.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.