blackhead

[blak-hed]

See more synonyms for blackhead on Thesaurus.com

noun

a small, black-tipped, fatty mass in a skin follicle, especially of the face; comedo.
any of several birds having a head that is black, as the greater scaup, Aythya marila.
Also called enterohepatitis. Veterinary Pathology. a malignant, infectious disease of turkeys, chickens, and many wild birds, caused by a protozoan parasite, Histomonas meleagridas, attacking especially the intestines and liver, and often characterized by a darkening of the skin on the head.

Origin of blackhead

First recorded in 1650–60; black + head

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for blackhead

blister, blemish, lump, acne, freckle, blot, bruise, wart, blotch, smudge, imperfection, pimple, snag, stigma, stain, scar, discoloration, abscess, zit, carbuncle

Examples from the Web for blackhead

Historical Examples of blackhead

It is curious to note that the German variety is called the Schwartzkopf, the meaning of which is "blackhead."
The Romance of War Inventions
Thomas W. Corbin
I remember one time they had just a little patch of blackhead sugar cane.
Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves
Work Projects Administration
I certainly would advise any farm wife, in sections where blackhead does not prevail, to try her hand at turkey raising.
The Dollar Hen
Milo M. Hastings
The summons was promptly obeyed, and the accused prelate was brought face to face with Blackhead before the Council.
The History of England from the Accession of James II.
Thomas Babington Macaulay
He selected a wretch named Blackhead, who had formerly been convicted of perjury and sentenced to have his ears clipped.
The History of England from the Accession of James II.
Thomas Babington Macaulay

British Dictionary definitions for blackhead

blackhead

noun

a black-tipped plug of fatty matter clogging a pore of the skin, esp the duct of a sebaceous glandTechnical name: comedo
an infectious and often fatal disease of turkeys and some other fowl caused by the parasitic protozoa Histomonas meleagridisTechnical name: infectious enterohepatitis
any of various birds, esp gulls or ducks, with black plumage on the head

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

Word Origin and History for blackhead

"comedo," 1837, from black (adj.) + head (n.). So called for its appearance.

blackhead in Medicine

blackhead

[blăk′hĕd′]

A plug of keratin and sebum within a hair follicle that is blackened at the surface.open comedo