Blister
small pocket of fluid within the upper layers of the skin
A blister is a small pocket of body fluid (lymph, serum, plasma, blood, or pus) within the upper layers of the skin, usually caused by forceful rubbing (friction), burning, freezing, chemical exposure or infection. Most blisters are filled with a clear fluid, either serum or plasma. However, blisters can be filled with blood (known as "blood blisters") or with pus (for instance, if they become infected).
In dermatology, the words vesicle and bulla refer to blisters of smaller or greater size, respectively. Smaller blisters are also called blebs.
Etymology
The word "blister" entered English in the 14th century. It came from the Middle Dutch bluyster and was a modification of the Old French blostre, which meant a leprous nodule: a rise in the skin due to leprosy.
Causes
A blister may form when the skin has been damaged by friction or rubbing, heat, cold or chemical exposure. Fluid collects between the upper layers of skin (the epidermis) and the layers below (the dermis). This fluid cushions the tissue underneath, protecting it from further damage and allowing it to heal.
“Blister” enters the record as small pocket of fluid within the upper layers of the skin. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Blister, small and pocket can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Blister” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Blister, small and pocket provides the most credible route into that argument.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 7, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q276469. The Library of Congress control number is sh85014896. None of the 1 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Blister”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Blister primary sources, Blister archive and Blister research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Blister”?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Blister” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.