ScienceAugust 1, 2026
disfigurement
dis-FIG-yur-ment
Definition
The state of having one's physical appearance spoiled or damaged, often due to an injury, disease, or medical condition.
Etymology
The word comes from the Middle English 'disfiguren,' derived from Old French 'desfigurer,' which combines the prefix 'dis-' (reversal or removal) with 'figure' (form or shape).
In the news
In the article, disfigurement refers to the severe scarring and skin damage caused by smallpox, which contributed to the psychological trauma experienced by indigenous populations during the epidemic.
Smallpox DNA found in Chilean mummies from the Spanish conquest era
Read the full article ↗vijesti.me