King's evil

noun

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    scrofula archaic, uncountable

    "Suppose the person the matter is taken from, has the king's evil, the pox, madness, or some other inveterate disease — I am sure the inoculator can give no reason why it should not convey one distemper as well as the other."

  2. 2
    a form of tuberculosis characterized by swellings of the lymphatic glands wordnet

Etymology

From a popular belief that the King could cure the disease by touching the sufferer.

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