Pockmark
/ˈpɒk.mɑːrk/noun
A small scar or pit in the skin or a surface, often left by disease or damage.
Did you know?The first element, **pock**, is an old word for a pustule or blister, while **mark** is the same deep-rooted word behind signs, borders, and visible traces—so the word literally names a scar as a visible sign.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
pocc
“a pustule, blister, or swelling on the skin”
Old English
OE
mearc
“a boundary, sign, or visible trace”
Middle English
ME
pok marke
“a mark or scar left by pocks or similar skin eruptions”
16th Century
English
pockmark
“a small scar or pit, especially one caused by smallpox”
Modern English
English
pockmark
“a small pit, scar, or depression on a surface”