Did you know?
A bursa is a little pouch filled with fluid that sits between a tendon and a bone. When the fluid becomes infected by bacteria or irritated by too much movement, bursitis results. Throwing a baseball too many times at one session, for example, may inflame and irritate one of the bursae (notice the plural form) in the shoulder. Bursitis in another part of the body may be known by a traditional name such as "housemaid's knee", "soldier's heel", or "tennis elbow". Bursitis generally goes away after a few weeks of resting the affected area, and the pain can be treated with ice packs and aspirin.
Examples of bursitis in a Sentence
Ruth Jessen Hickman, Health, 17 Jan. 2025
Taking NSAIDs can help relieve the discomfort of fever, muscle aches, back pain, toothaches, menstrual cramps, headaches, tendonitis, bursitis and more, says Dr. Anureet Walia, MD, a pain management specialist.
—Caroline C. Boyle, USA TODAY, 3 Jan. 2025
The symptoms of bursitis include swelling and pain.
—Patty Weasler, Rn, Bsn, Verywell Health, 18 Sep. 2024
Trochanteric bursitis, inflammation of the greater trochanteric bursa, causes pain at the side of the hip and extends to the outside of the thigh.
—Lindsay Curtis, Health, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bursitis 
Dictionary Entries Near bursitis
Cite this Entry
“Bursitis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bursitis. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bursitis
noun
Medical Definition
bursitis
noun
Share