The word for today is…

chilblain (noun) – An inflammation followed by itchy irritation on the hands, feet, or ears, resulting from exposure to moist cold.

Source : The Free Dictionary

Etymology : Given that chilblains are caused by exposure to cold conditions, it may not surprise you to know that the first element of this word comes from the noun chill. The second element, blain, may be less familiar, though the word blain (“an inflammatory swelling or sore”) is still used by English speakers. Both elements of chilblain have Anglo-Saxon roots. Chill comes from Old English ciele (“frost” or “chill”), which is akin to ceald, an Old English ancestor of the modern cold. Blain comes from Old English blegen (of the same meaning as blain). These two words were first brought together (as the compound chyll blayne) in the 1500s.

Peter is a fourth-generation New Zealander, with his mother's and father's folks having arrived in New Zealand in the 1870s. He lives in Lower Hutt with his wife, some cats and assorted computers. His...