Definition of "carbuncle" [car•bun•cle]

• A painful localized bacterial infection of the skin and subcutaneous tissue that usually has several openings through which pus is discharged. (noun)
• A deep-red garnet, unfaceted and convex. (noun)
• Obsolete A red precious stone. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "I was reminded of the word carbuncle and its dual meanings today while writing something, and remembered this blog, so I thought I'd come over and say hi."
• "Of stones the precious stone called carbuncle is least amenable to fire."
• "The common employment of the designation carbuncle for a precious stone and also for a boil was usual from ancient times."