Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1300-1400
Language: Old French
Origin: festre 'sore hole in flesh', from Latin fistula

fester

 verb
     
Related topics: Illness and Disability
fes‧ter [intransitive]
1 if an unpleasant feeling or problem festers, it gets worse because it has not been dealt with:
The dispute can be traced back to resentments which have festered for centuries.
2MI if a wound festers, it becomes infected:
festering sores
3 if rubbish or dirty objects fester, they decay and smell bad
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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