Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web

Freckle

 - 7 dictionary results

freck⋅le

[frek-uhl] noun, verb, -led, -ling.
–noun
1. one of the small, brownish spots on the skin that are caused by deposition of pigment and that increase in number and darken on exposure to sunlight; lentigo.
2. any small spot or discoloration: freckles of paint spattered on the floor.
–verb (used with object)
3. to cover with freckles; produce freckles on.
–verb (used without object)
4. to become freckled.

Origin:
1350–1400; b. obs. frecken freckle (ME frekne < ON *frekna; cf. freknōttr speckled, Norw, Icel frekna, Sw fräkna freckle) and speckle (n.)
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To Freckle
freck·le   (frěk'əl)   
n.  A small brownish spot on the skin, often turning darker or increasing in number upon exposure to the sun.
tr. & intr.v.   freck·led, freck·ling, freck·les
To dot or become dotted with freckles or spots of color.

[From Middle English frakles, freckles, alteration of fraknes, probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Icelandic freknōttr, freckly.]
freck'ly adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

freckle 
1380, probably from O.N. freknur (pl.) "freckles," of unknown origin.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: 1freck·le
Pronunciation: 'frek-&l
Function: noun
: one of the small brownish spots in the skin that are usually due toprecipitation of pigment and that increase in number and intensity on exposure to sunlight called also ephelis; —compare LENTIGOfreck·led /-&ld/ adjective

Main Entry: 2freckle
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Forms: freck·led; freck·ling /'frek-(&-)li[ng]/
: tobecome marked with freckles
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

freckle freck·le (frěk'əl)
n.
A small brownish spot on the skin, often turning darker or increasing in number upon exposure to the sun.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Encyclopedia

freckle

a small, brownish, well-circumscribed, stainlike spot on the skin occurring most frequently in red- or sandy-haired individuals. In genetically predisposed individuals who have been exposed to the ultraviolet radiation of sunlight, production of the pigment melanin increases in the pigment cells of the skin (melanocytes); the number of melanocytes does not increase. Freckles do not form on surfaces that have not been exposed to the sun. The freckles usually appear after the age of five and tend to fade somewhat in adults. Apart from avoiding sunlight, there is no known way of preventing them. They may, on occasion, be confused with pigmented nevi.

Learn more about freckle with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see Freckle on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us: