What does "inflammation" mean?

1. (medical swelling) a condition where part of your body gets red, hot, and swollen because it is fighting an injury or illness. 2. (violent excitement) a state of being very angry or excited. 3. (setting on fire) the act of starting a fire or setting something on fire.

inflammation

US //ˌɪnfɫəˈmeɪʃən// UK //ɪnflæmˈeɪʃən// in·flam·ma·tion

1 medical swelling (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Medicine

a condition where part of your body gets red, hot, and swollen because it is fighting an injury or illness.

a localized protective response to tissue injury or infection, characterized by pain, heat, redness, swelling, and sometimes loss of function.

Example

The doctor gave her some cream to reduce the inflammation in her knee.

Example

Chronic inflammation can lead to a variety of long-term health issues if the underlying cause of the immune response is not addressed.
2 violent excitement (n.)
C2 Proficiency Archaic Literary

a state of being very angry or excited.

a state of intense emotional excitement or violent passion.

Example

The speaker's words caused a great inflammation of public feeling.

Example

The orator's rhetoric served only to increase the inflammation of the crowd, leading to a night of civil unrest.
- calm
- peace

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3 setting on fire (n.)
C2 Proficiency Archaic

the act of starting a fire or setting something on fire.

the act of setting something on fire or the process of catching fire.

Example

The sudden inflammation of the dry grass surprised the campers.

Example

The rapid inflammation of the wooden structures made it impossible for the villagers to save the granary.
- ignition
- kindling
- conflagration
- extinction

Origin

From Middle French inflammation, from Latin īnflammātiō, equivalent to inflame + -ation.