anthrax
    n 1: a highly infectious animal disease (especially cattle and
         sheep); it can be transmitted to people [syn: anthrax,
         splenic fever]
    2: a disease of humans that is not communicable; caused by
       infection with Bacillus anthracis followed by septicemia

malignant \ma*lig"nant\, a. [L. malignans, -antis, p. pr. of
   malignare, malignari, to do or make maliciously. See
   Malign, and cf. Benignant.]
   1. Disposed to do harm, inflict suffering, or cause distress;
      actuated by extreme malevolence or enmity; virulently
      inimical; bent on evil; malicious.
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            A malignant and a turbaned Turk.      --Shak.
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   2. Characterized or caused by evil intentions; pernicious.
      "Malignant care." --Macaulay.
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            Some malignant power upon my life.    --Shak.
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            Something deleterious and malignant as his touch.
                                                  --Hawthorne.
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   3. (Med.) Tending to produce death; threatening a fatal
      issue; virulent; as, malignant diphtheria.
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   Malignant pustule (Med.), a very contagious disease
      produced by infection of subcutaneous tissues with the
      bacterium Bacillus anthracis. It is transmitted to man
      from animals and is characterized by the formation, at the
      point of reception of the infection, of a vesicle or
      pustule which first enlarges and then breaks down into an
      unhealthy ulcer. It is marked by profound exhaustion and
      often fatal. The disease in animals is called charbon;
      in man it is called cutaneous anthrax, and formerly was
      sometimes called simply anthrax.
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Anthrax \An"thrax\ ([a^]n"thr[a^]ks), n. [L., fr. Gr. 'a`nqrax
   coal, carbuncle.]
   1. (Med.)
      (a) A carbuncle.
      (b) A malignant pustule.
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   2. (Biol.) A microscopic, bacterial organism (Bacillus
      anthracis), resembling transparent rods. [See Illust.
      under Bacillus.]
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   3. An infectious disease of cattle and sheep. It is ascribed
      to the presence of a rod-shaped gram-positive bacterium
      (Bacillus anthracis), the spores of which constitute the
      contagious matter. It may be transmitted to man by
      inoculation. The spleen becomes greatly enlarged and
      filled with bacteria. Called also splenic fever.
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Carbuncle \Car"bun*cle\, n. [L. carbunculus a little coal, a
   bright kind of precious stone, a kind of tumor, dim. of carbo
   coal: cf. F. carboncle. See Carbon.]
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   1. (Min.) A beautiful gem of a deep red color (with a mixture
      of scarlet) called by the Greeks anthrax; found in the
      East Indies. When held up to the sun, it loses its deep
      tinge, and becomes of the color of burning coal. The name
      belongs for the most part to ruby sapphire, though it has
      been also given to red spinel and garnet.
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   2. (Med.) A very painful acute local inflammation of the
      subcutaneous tissue, esp. of the trunk or back of the
      neck, characterized by brawny hardness of the affected
      parts, sloughing of the skin and deeper tissues, and
      marked constitutional depression. It differs from a boil
      in size, tendency to spread, and the absence of a central
      core, and is frequently fatal. It is also called
      anthrax.
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   3. (Her.) A charge or bearing supposed to represent the
      precious stone. It has eight scepters or staves radiating
      from a common center. Called also escarbuncle.
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