Lanugo
/ləˈnjuːɡoʊ/noun
A soft, fine, downy hair that covers the body of a fetus or newborn.
Did you know?Lanugo comes from Latin lana, “wool,” and in older medical writing it was treated as a natural, almost mystical covering of the unborn body.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
lana
“wool”
Latin
Latin
lanugo
“woolliness; fine wool or fuzz”
Late Middle Ages
Medieval Latin
lanugo
“fine downy hair, especially on the body”
Modern English
English
lanugo
“the soft, fine hair covering a fetus or newborn”