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ingrown

American  
[in-grohn] / ˈɪnˌgroʊn /

adjective

  1. having grown into the flesh.

    an ingrown toenail.

  2. grown within or inward.


ingrown British  
/ ˈɪnˌɡrəʊn, ɪnˈɡrəʊn /

adjective

  1. (esp of a toenail) grown abnormally into the flesh; covered by adjacent tissues

  2. grown within; native; innate

  3. excessively concerned with oneself, one's own particular group, etc

  4. ingrained

"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

Etymology

Origin of ingrown

First recorded in 1660–70; in- 1 + grown

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

My doctor said it may have been caused by an ingrown hair that became inflamed after collecting debris.

From Slate • Feb. 22, 2026

When I first meet Michael Ontkean in the film, he plays a doctor and I'm there because I've got an ingrown hair under my neck.

From Salon • Feb. 20, 2025

The day after the appointment, they woke up with a fever, swollen lymph nodes and what appeared to be an ingrown hair near their groin.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 31, 2022

She told him the bump on his thigh was an ingrown hair and tested him for a urinary tract infection.

From New York Times • Aug. 26, 2022

But it was important to me, too, that our daughters feel released from some of the ingrown formalities of the place.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

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