— pyorrheal, pyorrheic , adj.
/puy'euh ree"euh/ , n.
1. Pathol. a discharge of pus.
2. Also called pyorrhea alveolaris /al vee'euh lar"is/ , Riggs' disease . Dentistry. a chronic form of periodontitis occurring in various degrees of severity, characterized in its severe forms by the formation of pus in the pockets between the roots of the teeth and their surrounding tissues, and frequently accompanied by the loosening and subsequent loss of the teeth.
Also, pyorrhoea .
[ 1805-15; ]