ichor
UK[ˈaɪkɔː]US[ˈaɪkɔːr]
n
In Greek mythology, the ethereal fluid that flows like blood in the veins of the gods.
n
A watery, acrid discharge from a wound or ulcer.
Etymology
The word 'ichor' entered English in the 1630s directly from the Greek word 'īchōr', which referred to the ethereal fluid in the veins of the gods. In Greek mythology, this substance was distinct from mortal blood, being described as thin, watery, and divine, causing a foul odor when a god was wounded. The term was later adopted into medical vocabulary in the 17th century to describe a similarly thin, watery, and often fetid discharge from wounds or ulcers, drawing a direct metaphorical link between the morbid bodily fluid and its mythical, otherworldly counterpart.
Analysis
The word is a simplex loanword from Greek. It cannot be meaningfully segmented into smaller, independent morphemes using its current English spelling.
Examples
In Homer's epics, the gods bled not blood but golden ichor.
The physician noted the clear ichor seeping from the infected lesion.
The poet described the immortal's wound as weeping silvery ichor.