/kahr"bung keuhl/ , n.
1. Pathol. a painful circumscribed inflammation of the subcutaneous tissue, resulting in suppuration and sloughing, and having a tendency to spread somewhat like a boil, but more serious in its effects.
2. a gemstone, esp. a garnet, cut with a convex back and a cabochon surface.
3. Also called London brown . a dark grayish, red-brown color.
4. Obs. any rounded red gem.
adj.
5. having the color carbuncle.
[ 1150-1200; ME carbunculus kind of precious stone, tumor, lit., live coal, equiv. to carbon- (s. of carbo ) burning charcoal + -culus -CULE 1 , appar. assimilated to derivates from short-vowel stems; cf. HOMUNCULUS ]