rankle

rankle
\ \ [14] Etymologically, if something rankles, it festers from the effects of a ‘dragon’s’ bite. Nowadays the word is only used metaphorically, but it originally meant literally ‘be sore, fester’. It was borrowed from Old French rancler, a variant of draoncler. This was derived from draoncleulcer’, which in turn came from dranculus, the medieval Latin descendant of dracunculus, a diminutive form of Latin dracōsnake’ (source of English dragon).
\ \ The notion underlying the word is of an ulcer caused by the bite of a snake.
\ \ Cf.DRAGON

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • Rankle — Ran kle (r[a^][ng] k l), v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Rankled} ( k ld); p. pr. & vb. n. {Rankling} ( kl[i^]ng).] [From {Rank}, a.] 1. To become, or be, rank; to grow rank or strong; to be inflamed; to fester; used literally and figuratively. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Rankle — Ran kle (r[a^][ng] k l), v. t. To cause to fester; to make sore; to inflame. [R.] Beau. & Fl. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • rankle — index affront, aggravate (annoy), annoy, bait (harass), harass, irritate Burton s Legal Thesaurus …   Law dictionary

  • rankle — (v.) early 14c., from O.Fr. rancler, from draoncle abscess, festering sore, from L. dracunculus little snake, dim. of draco serpent, dragon (see DRAGON (Cf. dragon)). The notion is of an ulcer caused by a snake s bite. Related: Rankled; rankling …   Etymology dictionary

  • rankle — [v] annoy, irritate aggravate, anger, bother, chafe, embitter, exasperate, fester, fret, gall, get one’s goat*, harass, hurt, inflame, irk, mortify, nettle, obsess, pain, pester, plague, rile, torment, vex; concepts 7,14,19 Ant. delight, make… …   New thesaurus

  • rankle — ► VERB ▪ (of a comment or fact) cause annoyance or resentment. ORIGIN originally in the sense «fester»; from Old French rancler, from rancle festering sore …   English terms dictionary

  • rankle — [raŋ′kəl] vi., vt. rankled, rankling [ME ranclen < OFr rancler < raoncle, draoncle, a fester, ulcer < ML dracunculus < L, dim. of draco,DRAGON] 1. Obs. to fester; become or make inflamed 2. to cause or cause to have long lasting anger …   English World dictionary

  • rankle — UK [ˈræŋk(ə)l] / US verb [intransitive/transitive] Word forms rankle : present tense I/you/we/they rankle he/she/it rankles present participle rankling past tense rankled past participle rankled if an action rankles or rankles you, it continues… …   English dictionary

  • rankle — verb (rankled; rankling) Etymology: Middle English ranclen to fester, from Anglo French rancler, from Old French draoncler, raoncler, from draoncle, raoncle festering sore, from Medieval Latin dracunculus, from Latin, diminutive of draco serpent… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • rankle — ranklingly, adv. /rang keuhl/, v., rankled, rankling. v.i. 1. (of unpleasant feelings, experiences, etc.) to continue to cause keen irritation or bitter resentment within the mind; fester; be painful. v.t. 2. to cause keen irritation or bitter… …   Universalium

  • rankle — verb /ˈræŋ.kəl/ a) To cause irritation or deep bitterness. b) To fester. Syn: embitter, irritate, fester …   Wiktionary

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