online medical dictionary | definition of blister

1. A vesicle of the skin, containing watery matter or serum, whether occasioned by a burn or other injury, or by a vesicatory; a collection of serous fluid causing a bladderlike elevation of the cuticle. "And painful blisters swelled my tender hands." (Grainger)

2. Any elevation made by the separation of the film or skin, as on plants; or by the swelling of the substance at the surface, as on steel.

3. A vesicatory; a plaster of Spanish flies, or other matter, applied to raise a blister. Blister beetle, a beetle used to raise blisters, especially. The Lytta (or Cantharis) vesicatoria, called Cantharis or Spanish fly by druggists. See Cantharis. Blister fly, a blister beetle. Blister plaster, a plaster designed to raise a blister; usually made of Spanish flies. Blister steel, crude steel formed from wrought iron by cementation; so called because of its blistered surface. Called also blistered steel. Blood blister. See Blood.

Origin: OE.; akin to OD. Bluyster, fr. The same root as blast, bladder, blow. See Blow to eject wind.

(01 Mar 1998)