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Usenet Posted 21 years ago
Usage
Wound or sore (nouns)?
I am from Denmark, so forgive me my probably very naïve question.
I would like to know what the difference between "a wound" and "a sore" is.
Of course I have looked in a couple of dictionaries and found out the following: They can mean:
"an injury to the body (as from violence, accident, or surgery) that involves laceration or breaking of a membrane (as the skin ..." (m-w, "wound")
and
"localized sore spot on the body; especially : one (as an ulcer) with the tissues ruptured or abraded" (m-w, "sore")
My reason for asking is I have to evaluate an information pamphlet about (among other things) hiv-contraction. The wording goes:
"... HIV can also be transmitted if HIV-infected blood gets into an open sore."
Here I would have written "... open wound" but does it make a difference? Both words apparently can refer to a condition of the skin, where a passage is open to the fine blood vessels?
David
I would like to know what the difference between "a wound" and "a sore" is.
Of course I have looked in a couple of dictionaries and found out the following: They can mean:
"an injury to the body (as from violence, accident, or surgery) that involves laceration or breaking of a membrane (as the skin ..." (m-w, "wound")
and
"localized sore spot on the body; especially : one (as an ulcer) with the tissues ruptured or abraded" (m-w, "sore")
My reason for asking is I have to evaluate an information pamphlet about (among other things) hiv-contraction. The wording goes:
"... HIV can also be transmitted if HIV-infected blood gets into an open sore."
Here I would have written "... open wound" but does it make a difference? Both words apparently can refer to a condition of the skin, where a passage is open to the fine blood vessels?
David
Top answer
[nq:1]I am from Denmark, so forgive me my probably very naïve question. I would like to know what the difference ... [/nq] They have different meanings as you have discovered.
- [nq:1]I am from Denmark, so forgive me my probably very naïve question.
- I would like to know what the difference ...
- [/nq] They have different meanings as you have discovered.
- I think the reason for the wording is that people don't usually wander around with open wounds - wounds are closed, stitched or otherwise fixed as soon as possible, and generally heal fairly quickly.
- The nature of a wound is that it has been created by direct action - cutting or stabbing - a sore could be "natural", that is, caused by a medical condition.
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2 Answers
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[nq:1]I am from Denmark, so forgive me my probably very naïve question. I would like to know what the difference ... words apparently can refer to a condition of the skin, where a passage is open to the fine blood vessels?[/nq]
They have different meanings as you have discovered. I think the reason for the wording is that people don't usually wander around with open wounds - wounds are closed,
They have different meanings as you have discovered. I think the reason for the wording is that people don't usually wander around with open wounds - wounds are closed,
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[nq:1]The nature of a wound is that it has been created by direct action -[/nq]
Yes, I see now that that's the point in the definition in M-W. Sometimes you need to have someone to point it out to you, so thank you.
[nq:1]I would be inclined to write "open wound or sore" to make it clear.[/nq]
Yes, thanks again.
David
Yes, I see now that that's the point in the definition in M-W. Sometimes you need to have someone to point it out to you, so thank you.
[nq:1]I would be inclined to write "open wound or sore" to make it clear.[/nq]
Yes, thanks again.
David
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