lesion
- 01 C1 Advanced
n.an area of the body, such as the skin or an organ, that has been damaged by a disease or an injury.
n.a localized area of diseased or damaged tissue, such as a wound, ulcer, or tumor. Often used as a general term in clinical diagnosis before a specific cause is identified.
Simple“The doctor examined the small red lesion on the patient's arm to see if it was an infection.”
In context“The MRI scan revealed a small lesion in the left hemisphere of the brain, which explained the patient's sudden loss of motor coordination.”
UsageCommonly used with adjectives like 'skin', 'brain', 'benign', or 'malignant'.
- 02 C2 Proficiency
n.a situation where a contract is so unfair that one person loses a lot of money.
n.the injury or harm suffered by a party to a contract who does not receive the equivalent of what they give, potentially allowing the contract to be cancelled.
Simple“The lawyer argued that the sale of the house was a case of lesion because the price was far too low.”
In context“Under certain civil law jurisdictions, a contract may be rescinded on the grounds of lesion if the price paid is less than half the fair market value.”
Teacher's tipThis sense is rare outside of specific legal systems like those in France, Quebec, or Louisiana.
Synonymsinequityimbalance - 03 C2 Proficiency
v.to damage a specific part of a body, usually during a scientific experiment.
v.to intentionally create a lesion in an organ or tissue, typically for the purpose of scientific research or medical treatment.
Simple“Scientists lesioned a small part of the bird's brain to study how it learned songs.”
In context“The researchers lesioned specific neural pathways in the laboratory mice to observe the resulting changes in social behavior.”
UsageThis verb is transitive and almost exclusively used in academic or laboratory contexts.
“What began as an effort to explain black lesions on a common catfish may help us better understand cancer, evolution and infectious disease in all animals, including ourselves.”
“Using microscopes, 3D scans and tissue-loss measurements, we documented even the smallest lesions.”
From Middle English lesioun, from Old French lesion, from Latin laesiō (“injury”), itself from laesus, perfect passive participle of laedō (“I injure, hurt”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.