verruca

Everyday

1. A verruca is a small hard wart on the bottom of the foot, caused by a virus. tree →
2. In medicine, verruca can mean any wart. tree →

In the lessons

In health lessons and at swimming pools (UK, Ireland, Australia), children learn verrucas spread on wet floors, so you wear flip-flops in changing rooms and do not share towels. Some schools used to make children wear «verruca socks» in swimming. Most verrucas are harmless and go away on their own, though they can hurt when you walk.

Examples

• I've got a verruca on my heel and it hurts when I walk. tree →
• Wear flip-flops in the changing room so you don't catch a verruca. tree →
• The nurse put special cream on my verruca. tree →
• My verruca took months to go away. tree →
• She wore a verruca sock to swimming lessons. tree →
• You can catch verrucas from wet floors at the pool. tree →

Note

Mostly UK/Irish word; in the USA people usually say «plantar wart». Plural «verrucas» is normal; «verrucae» is the Latin, used by doctors. Not dangerous, but catching.