wart, circumscribed outgrowth of the skin caused by a filterable virus that is readily transmitted. Warts may appear anywhere on the skin but are most common on the hands. Sexually transmitted diseases and human papillomavirus produce warts in the genital area; these are often precancerous growths. Some warts disappear spontaneously; others persist for many years. However, there is also a tendency to develop new lesions. Warts are treated by surgical excision (sometimes by electrocautery), bloodless removal by freezing with liquid nitrogen, or repeated applications of ointments or creams. Those on the soles of the feet (plantar warts) are the most painful and most difficult to treat, since on pressure-bearing areas they may become depressed beneath the surface of the skin.

or verruca

Well-defined growth on the skin, usually caused by a papillomavirus, which triggers overproduction of epidermal cells. This may lead to a single long-standing wart, profuse local spread (especially in moist areas), or warts in various parts of the body. The most common type is a round bump with a dry, rough surface. Warts are usually painless except in pressure areas, such as the sole of the foot (plantar wart). Genital warts are merely a nuisance unless they become large or numerous enough to interfere with urination, defecation, or childbirth, but some viral strains are associated with cervical cancer. Warts are considered contagious. They may be removed by applying acids, cryotherapy, electrocautery, or surgery; they sometimes disappear spontaneously.

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(born Dec. 29, 1809, Liverpool, Eng.—died May 19, 1898, Hawarden, Flintshire, Wales) British politician and prime minister (1868–74, 1880–85, 1886, 1892–94). He entered Parliament in 1833 as a Tory, but after holding various government posts, including chancellor of the Exchequer (1852–55, 1859–66), he slowly converted to liberalism and became Liberal Party leader in 1866. In his first term as prime minister (1868–74), he oversaw national education reform, voting reform (see Ballot Act), and the disestablishment of the Irish Protestant church (1869). In 1875–76 he denounced the indifference of Benjamin Disraeli's government to the Bulgarian Horrors. In his second term, he secured passage of the Reform Bill of 1884. His cabinet authorized the occupation of Egypt (1882), but his failure to rescue Gen. Charles George Gordon in Khartoum (1885) cost Gladstone much popularity and his government's defeat. In 1886, throwing his weight behind support for Irish Home Rule, he was able to regain control of Parliament, but when his Home Rule Bill was rejected he resigned. He devoted the next six years to trying to convince the electorate to grant Home Rule to Ireland. Liberals won a majority again in 1892, and in his fourth cabinet he piloted through another Home Rule Bill, but it was soundly rejected by the House of Lords. He was buried in Westminster Abbey.

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