| irritants | Drugs that act locally on cutaneous or mucosal surfaces to produce inflammation; those that cause redness due to hyperaemia are rubefacients; those that raise blisters are vesicants and those that penetrate sebaceous glands and cause abscesses are pustulants; tear gases and mustard gases are also irritants. (12 Dec 1998) |
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| irritate | 1. To increase the action or violence of; to heighten excitement in; to intensify; to stimulate. "Cold maketh the spirits vigorous and irritateth them." (Bacon) 2. To excite anger or displeasure in; to provoke; to tease; to exasperate; to annoy; to vex; as, the insolence of a tyrant irritates his subjects. "Dismiss the man, nor irritate the god: Prevent the rage of him who reigns above." (Pope) 3. <physiology> To produce irritation in; to stimulate; to cause to contract. See Irritation. 4. <medicine> To make morbidly excitable, or oversensitive; to fret; as, the skin is irritated by friction; to irritate a wound by a coarse bandage. Synonym: To fret, inflame, excite, provoke, tease, vex, exasperate, anger, incense, enrage. To Irritate, Provoke, Exasperate. These words express different stages of excited or angry feeling. Irritate denotes an excitement of quick and slightly angry feeling which is only momentary; as, irritated by a hasty remark. To provoke implies the awakening of some open expression of decided anger; as, a provoking insult. Exasperate denotes a provoking of anger at something unendurable. Whatever comes across our feelings irritates; whatever excites anger provokes; whatever raises anger to a high point exasperates. "Susceptible and nervous people are most easily irritated; proud people are quickly provoked; hot and fiery people are soonest exasperated." Origin: L. Irritatus, p. P. Of irritare. Of doubtful origin. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| irritation | A state of overexcitation and undue sensitivity. Origin: L. Irritatio (18 Nov 1997) |
| irritation cell | A relatively large, immature cell with certain morphologic features resembling those of a plasma cell, although the nuclear pattern is similar to that of a myeloblast; found in circulating blood only in pathologic conditions. Synonym: irritation cell, Turk's leukocyte. (05 Mar 2000) |
| irritation fibroma | A slow-growing nodule on the oral mucosa, composed of fibrous tissue covered by epithelium, resulting from mechanical irritation by dentures, fillings, cheek biting, etc. (05 Mar 2000) |
| irritative | Causing irritation. (05 Mar 2000) |
| irrorate | <zoology> Covered with minute grains, appearing like fine sand. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| irrotational | <physics> Not rotatory; passing from one point to another by a movement other than rotation; said of the movement of parts of a liquid or yielding mass. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| irrumation | Synonym: fellatio. Origin: L. Irrumo, pp. -atus, to give suck (05 Mar 2000) |
| irruption | Act or process of breaking through to a surface. Origin: L. Irruptio, fr. Irrumpo, to break in (05 Mar 2000) |
| irruptive | Relating to or characterised by irruption. (05 Mar 2000) |