Home › Glossary › Letter U

Ulcer

Medical Terms
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

An open sore or lesion on the skin or internal tissues. In poetry it often symbolises persistent wounds or corrosive emotional pain.

Detailed Definition
Ulcers are painful sores that form when tissue breaks down on the skin or within the digestive system. Historically they were associated with chronic illness and slow healing. In literature the image of an ulcer frequently appears as a metaphor for grievances or guilt that continually irritate the mind. Poets use the term to convey suffering that does not easily heal, suggesting emotional wounds that remain exposed and sensitive over time.
Example
Example in poetry:
The stress caused a painful stomach ulcer; Poets use ulcer to describe deep moral sores; The leg ulcer required daily dressing changes; He described the ulcer of corruption in the city; She suffered from an ulcer for many years; Ulcer is a sore on the skin or a mucous membrane.
Additional Notes
Ulcer refers to an open sore that heals slowly. In poetry ulcers symbolise lingering emotional wounds or corrosive resentment eating away internally.
Also Known As
Open Sore Ulceration Canker
Skip to main content