Path. Forms: 6–7 asker, (6 ascher, askar), 6–8 escar(e, 6 eschare, eskarre, 7 escarre, (esker), 7– eschar. [ad. (partly through Fr. eschare) L. eschara, a. Gr. ἐσχάρα lit. ‘hearth,’ hence mark of a burn. The Fr. word was at an earlier period adopted aphetically as scarre, SCAR1.]
‘A brown or black dry slough, resulting from the destruction of a living part, either by gangrene, by burn, or by caustics’ (Syd. Soc. Lex.).
[c. 1430. trans. Gul. de Saliceto, in MS. Sloane 277 fo. 49. Þe remeuynge of þe escara or cruste.]
1543. Traheron, Vigo’s Chirurg., II. ix. 23. After that the malignite is taken awaye, ye muste cause the eschare to fal awaye.
1582. Hester, Secr. Phiorav., I. vii. 8. You maie not take awaie ye Askar, vntill such tyme as it falleth out of hymself.
1607. Topsell, Four-f. Beasts (1658), 313. Bind it thereto for three days, in which space you shall see a white asker on the sore.
1655. Culpepper, etc. Riverius, IV. vii. 119. When the Eschar falls off, they will bleed again.
c. 1720. W. Gibson, Farrier’s Guide, II. xlviii. (1738), 182. It does not form anything like an Escar.
1755. Phil. Trans., XLIX. 50. The tongue alone was the seat of the gangrenous eschar.
1807. Med. Jrnl., XVII. 223. I cauterized the wound by means of burning tinder … until an eschar was produced about the size of a shilling.
1873. H. Rogers, Orig. Bible (1874), 286. In the eschar produced by actual cautery, no nerve thrills.
† b. transf. Obs.
1709. Phil. Trans., XXVI. 379. The Flame of common Fire … is able to reduce it [Iron] to an Eschar or sort of Rust.
1727. Bradley, Fam. Dict., s.v. Ant, Insects … cause so many Escars, that the Leaves cannot avoid circling.
