freckle

freckle — noun

1. Small, flat brown dots that appear on a person's skin — usually the face, arms,

1.nounB1
Definition

Small, flat brown dots that appear on a person's skin — usually the face, arms, or shoulders — and that get darker or stand out more when that person spends time outside in sunny weather.

Example

Trang's light skin was covered in tiny freckles that stood out every summer.

collocation: covered in freckles

The little girl counted the freckles on her grandmother's arms one lazy afternoon.

Common collocations
  • covered in freckles
  • cluster of freckles
  • freckles stand out
  • freckles fade
  • freckles appear
Synonyms
  • spot

    a broader term that covers any small round mark on the skin, including freckles, age spots, or acne

  • speckle

    similar meaning, but can refer to marks on surfaces other than skin

  • dot

    informal and simple; a very small round mark

Usage Note

Freckles almost always appear in groups, so the plural form is much more common than the singular.

Common Mistakes

I have a freckle on my nose.
I have freckles on my nose.
Freckles typically come in groups, so the plural form sounds more natural.

freckle — verb

Word family

  • freckled
    adjectiveB1
  • freckling
    nounC1
  • freckly
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Freckle, spot, speckle, and blemish all refer to marks on skin, but they differ in cause and connotation. A freckle is a small, flat brown dot caused by sun exposure — harmless and often considered a natural feature. A spot is the most general term: it can be a freckle, an acne pimple, an age spot, or any small visible mark. Speckle suggests a pattern of many tiny dots and is not limited to skin (a speckled bird's egg, a speckled paint finish). Blemish is a broader, more negative term for any flaw in skin or surface, including scars and pimples. For example: 'She has cute freckles across her nose' (positive, natural), versus 'She used concealer to hide a blemish on her chin' (flaw to cover). Spot sits between these — neutral but less specific: 'I noticed a dark spot on my arm.'

freckle ↗spot ↗speckleblemish

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • covered in freckles
  • cluster of freckles
  • freckles stand out
  • freckles fade

Prepositions

Etymology

Old NorseMiddle EnglishEnglish

Freckle comes from Middle English 'freklen' (plural 'frekles'), which was borrowed from Old Norse 'freknur' (plural). Related words exist in other Scandinavian languages — Norwegian 'frekne', Swedish 'fräkne', and Danish 'fregne'. The word originally referred only to the small brown spots on the skin; the verb senses developed later as English speakers began describing the process of getting such marks.