carbuncle

Meaning

Noun

• A deep-red or fiery colored garnet or other dark red precious stone, especially when cut cabochon.
• An abscess larger than a boil, usually with one or more openings draining pus onto the skin. It is usually caused by staphylococcal infection.
• An unpopular or ugly building; an eyesore.

Origin

• From Middle English carbuncle, charbocle, from Old French carbuncle, charbuncle, from Latin carbunculus ("a small coal; a reddish kind of precious stone; a kind of tumor"), diminutive of carbō.