Baghdad boil

English

Alternative forms

• Bagdad boil

Etymology

So-called because during the European explorations of the Middle East it was endemic to Baghdad, whereas unknown to other areas of the Middle East. The equivalent Arabic حَبَّة بَغْدَاد (ḥabba(t) baḡdād) was then only invented by Arabic-speaking foreigners.

Pronunciation

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Noun

Baghdad boil (plural Baghdad boils)

1. (dated) cutaneous leishmaniasis

Further reading

• Elgood, Cyril (1934) “The Early History of the Bag̲h̲dād Boil”, in Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society (JRAS)‎^[1], volume 66, number 3, →DOI, pages 519–533