pus

Everyday

1. Pus is a thick yellow or greenish liquid that forms in a cut or sore that is infected. tree →
2. It is made of dead white blood cells, germs and bits of tissue. tree →

In the lessons

In health and first-aid lessons, pus is a sign of infection: keep cuts clean and tell an adult or a doctor if a wound fills with pus, gets red, hot or swollen. In science it shows the body's white blood cells fighting germs. Phrases: «full of pus», «pus came out».

Examples

• The cut on his knee was full of pus. tree →
• Pus is a sign that germs got into a wound. tree →
• Don't squeeze spots with pus; you can spread germs. tree →
• The doctor cleaned the pus out of the sore. tree →
• White blood cells fighting germs make pus. tree →
• If a cut has pus and feels hot, show it to an adult. tree →

Note

Uncountable: «some pus», never «a pus» or «puses». Pronounced like «bus» with a «p». Don't confuse with «puss» (a cat, as in «Puss in Boots») — they sound the same.