a. [ad. L. type *tūberculōs-us, f. tūbercul-um TUBERCLE: see -OUS; cf. F. tuberculeux (1812 in Hatz.-Darm.).]
1. Path. Pertaining to or produced by tubercles; consisting or of the nature of tubercles; affected with tubercles.
1747. trans. Astruc’s Fevers, 129. Though the … tuberculous ulcers may seem to be healed, yet they frequently return.
a. 1834. R. Carswell, Pathol. Anat., Tubercle (1838), a iv b. I have never found these [scrofulous] glands … exempt from the presence of tuberculous matter.
1897. [see TUBERCULAR 2].
b. Since 1882, almost always used spec. in reference to the tubercle-bacillus or to tuberculosis, and thus technically distinguished from tubercular in the general sense: see TUBERCULAR 2, 2 b.
1891. Dublin Rev., Jan., 162. The new remedy can only act on living tuberculous tissue.
1897. Allbutt’s Syst. Med., II. 17. Guinea-pigs inoculated subcutaneously … by virulent tuberculous material. Ibid. (1899), VII. 466. Tuberculous meningitis is an acute disease depending on the invasion of the cerebral pia mater by the tubercle bacillus.
1903. Times, 7 March, 15/2. The eating of tuberculous pork. Ibid. (1913), 13 Aug., 3/2. A steady increase in the use of hospitals for the tuberculous sick.
2. Nat. Hist. Full of or covered with tubercles; tuberculate, tubercular. (Now disused.)
1828. Webster, Tubercular, Tuberculous,… full of knobs or pimples.
1833. Penny Cycl., I. 114/2. The three first molars are pointed and trenchant, and the other four tuberculous.
1846. Dana, Zooph. (1848), 502. Surface tuberculous, with the tubercles subconical.
