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Pathology. a sore on the skin or a mucous membrane, accompanied by the disintegration of tissue, the formation of pus, etc.
.
any chronically corrupting or disrupting condition, element, etc.
Contemporary Examples

Buffered and enteric-coated aspirin do not eliminate the risk of developing an ulcer.
Could a Daily Aspirin Be Deadly? Arthur Agatston, M.D. February 22, 2010

Indeed, Rep. Paul Ryan may talk a good game about the poor, but his policies still give social-justice advocates an ulcer.
How This Pope Is Remaking the GOP Michelle Cottle April 17, 2014

The doctors suspected a heart issue or an ulcer and recommended he follow up with his regular physician.
No Answers in Death of Technician Linked to Andrew Breitbart Christine Pelisek November 29, 2012

Historical Examples

ulcer or cancer of the stomach or some other grave disease is usually suspected.
A System of Practical Medicine By American Authors, Vol. II Various

No ulcer can heal, unless the absorption from it is as great as the deposition in it.
Zoonomia, Vol. II Erasmus Darwin

This vein led directly to an ulcer produced by the operation; and, even at its extremity, it contained no appearance of coagulum.
On the origin of inflammation of the veins Henry Lee

Oh, do not talk of her; she is my ulcer, particularly when I am in a bad temper.
The Regent’s Daughter Alexandre Dumas (Pere)

It was even my belief that the ulcer was caused by the medicine.
Forty Years in the Wilderness of Pills and Powders William A. Alcott

The condition of the ulcer when the clay is removed is indescribable.
At the Court of the Amr John Alfred Gray

The ulcers from buboes partake of the same character, the edges being hard and the ulcer disposed to burrow.
North American Medical and Surgical Journal, Vol. 2, No. 3, July, 1826 Various

noun
a disintegration of the surface of the skin or a mucous membrane resulting in an open sore that heals very slowly See also peptic ulcer
a source or element of corruption or evil
n.

c.1400, from Old French ulcere, from Vulgar Latin ulcerem, from Latin ulcus (genitive ulceris) “ulcer,” from PIE *elk-es- “wound” (cf. Greek elkos).

ulcer ul·cer (ŭl’sər)
n.
A lesion of the skin or of a mucous membrane, such as the one lining the stomach or duodenum, that is accompanied by formation of pus and necrosis of surrounding tissue, usually resulting from inflammation or ischemia.
ulcer
(ŭl’sər)
A break in the skin or a mucous membrane, such as the one lining the stomach or duodenum, accompanied by inflammation, pus, and loss of tissue.
ulcer [(ul-suhr)]

An inflamed open sore on the skin or mucous membrane. An ulcer may form in the inner lining of the stomach or duodenum, interfere with digestion, and cause considerable pain.

Note: It used to be thought that stress was the cause of stomach and duodenal ulcers, but we now know that they are caused by bacteria and can be cured by antibiotics.