freck⋅le
[frek-uh
l] 
noun, verb, -led, -ling.| 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. |
| 3. | to cover with freckles; produce freckles on. |
| 4. | to become freckled. |
1350–1400; b. obs. frecken freckle (ME frekne < ON *frekna; cf. freknōttr speckled, Norw, Icel frekna, Sw fräkna freckle) and speckle (n.)
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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| 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. |
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Freckle
Freck"le\, n. [Dim., from the same root as freak, v. t.]1. A small yellowish or brownish spot in the skin, particularly on the face, neck, or hands. 2. Any small spot or discoloration.Freckle
Frec"kle\ (fr[e^]k"k'l), v. i. To become covered or marked with freckles; to be spotted.Cite This Source
freckle
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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
Main Entry: 2freckle
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Forms: freck·led; freck·ling /'frek-(&-)li[ng]/
: tobecome marked with freckles
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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.
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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.
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