sebum

American

[see-buhm] / ˈsi bəm /

noun

Physiology.

the fatty secretion of the sebaceous glands.

sebum British

/ ˈsiːbəm /

noun

the oily secretion of the sebaceous glands that acts as a lubricant for the hair and skin and provides some protection against bacteria

"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

sebum Scientific

/ sē′bəm /

The fatty substance secreted by the sebaceous glands of mammals that protects and lubricates the skin and hair.

Etymology

Origin of sebum

First recorded in 1700–10, sebum is from the Latin word sēbum tallow, grease

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.

See Examples For:

sebum

Tallow consists of a much higher amount of saturated fat compared to our own sebum.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026

It also closely resembles sebum, the oily substance that coats our skin and protects it from drying out.

From Salon ● Jan. 25, 2025

Skin properties such as sebum levels, moisture, and dryness all influence the composition of the microbiota.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 20, 2024

The differences in scent between young children and teens probably stem from puberty-driven changes in sweat and sebum production, the researchers said.

From New York Times ● Mar. 21, 2024

They throw off a secretion known as sebum, which is made up principally of dead cells that have undergone fatty degeneration and of other debris.

From Maintaining Health Formerly Health and Efficiency by R. L. Alsaker

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023