freckle

[ frek-uhl ]
See synonyms for: frecklefreckledfreckling on Thesaurus.com

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),freck·led, freck·ling.
  1. to cover with freckles; produce freckles on.

verb (used without object),freck·led, freck·ling.
  1. to become freckled.

Origin of freckle

1
1350–1400; blend of obsolete frecken freckle (Middle English frekne<Old Norse *frekna; compare freknōttr speckled, Norwegian, Icelandic frekna,Swedish fräkna freckle) and speckle (noun)

Other words from freckle

  • un·freck·led, adjective
  • well-freckled, adjective

Words Nearby freckle

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use freckle in a sentence

  • But Jessie Norwood, her attention drawn to the freckle-faced child who stood there so composedly, motioned Burd to halt.

  • The freckle-faced girl began systematically to fill up the hollow with which she was accredited.

  • Every individual freckle on her thin, sharp face seemed to shine as though there was some radiance behind it.

  • The freckle-faced boy, sitting on his pony with easy confidence, answered his companion's questions absently.

    The Pony Rider Boys in Texas | Frank Gee Patchin

British Dictionary definitions for freckle

freckle

/ (ˈfrɛkəl) /


noun
  1. a small brownish spot on the skin: a localized deposit of the pigment melanin, developed by exposure to sunlight: Technical name: lentigo

  2. any small area of discoloration; a spot

  1. Australian slang the anus

verb
  1. to mark or become marked with freckles or spots

Origin of freckle

1
C14: from Old Norse freknur freckles; related to Swedish fräkne, Danish fregne

Derived forms of freckle

  • freckled or freckly, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012