Showing posts with label Ichor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ichor. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

A to Z Challenge: I - Ichor

Ichor

I've always pictured ichor as the slightly venomous saliva that drips from the fangs of creatures like Orcs, Goblins, Ogres and so forth, but it actually has a broader scope than that.

Still, any word that gives me an excuse to use an image from The Lord of the Rings is pretty dope.

i·chor [ˈī-ˌkȯr, -kər] n. 1. Greek Mythology The rarefied fluid said to run in the veins of the gods
2. Pathology A watery, acrid discharge from a wound or ulcer

Synonyms: (there are, of course, none for the primary definition) sanies, suppuration, festering, purulence, pus

Etymology: 1630s, from Gk. ikhor, of unknown origin, possibly from a non-I.E. language. The fluid that serves for blood in the veins of the gods. Related: Ichorous.