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Definition of Sore
Medically reviewed by Min Clinic Staff | Updated: January 2026
Sore: 1. (adjective) A popular term for painful, such as a sore throat. 2. (noun) A nondescript term for nearly any lesion of the skin or mucous membranes. He has a number of sores in his mouth.
The word sore traces its origin to the Anglo-Saxon term sar which meant distressing, grievous, painful.