trench mouth
Acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis, a severe bacterial infection of the gums, typically characterized by inflammation, bleeding, deep ulceration, necrotized tissue, pain, fever, enlarged lymph nodes, fatigue, and halitosis.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“The dentist said he has trench mouth and needs strong medicine.”
“You need antibiotics to treat a bad case of trench mouth.”
“Trench mouth makes it very painful for you to swallow food.”
“After weeks of poor dental hygiene and high stress, he developed painful trench mouth.”
“The doctor explained that your extreme exhaustion and painful gums are likely signs of trench mouth caused by a weakened immune system.”
“If you notice a foul taste and bleeding gums, you should see a specialist to check for trench mouth immediately.”
“The soldier suffered from trench mouth, a severe gum infection that caused him significant pain and made it difficult to eat during the long campaign.”
disputed origin
Probably coined during World War I when the disease was common among soldiers in the trenches during trench warfare.
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all mouth and no trousers
Alternative form of all mouth and trousers.
- 02
all mouth and trousers
Superficial, engaging in empty, boastful talk, but not of real substance.
- 03
all one's taste is in one's mouth
One lacks good taste in aesthetic or cultural matters.
- 04
bad taste in one's mouth
A feeling that something is morally despicable as to cause nausea.
- 05
big mouth
The mouth of someone who talks too much, especially by making exaggerated claims or by inappropriately revealing information.
- 06
born with a silver spoon in one's mouth
Born rich, or into a wealthy family.
- 07
butter wouldn't melt in someone's mouth
The identified person appears to be benign, mild-mannered, or calm (but with an integral suggestion that, to the contrary, they really are untrustworthy, disagreeable, or mean-spirited).
- 08
down in the mouth
Sad or discouraged, especially as indicated by one's facial appearance.
Last updated August 10, 2026