What does "comedo" mean?
A clogged hair follicle in the skin, formed when keratin combines with oil to block the follicle.
Comedo
/ˈkɒmədəʊ/ noun
noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A clogged hair follicle in the skin, formed when keratin combines with oil to block the follicle.
- Grammar: comedo is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: acne lesion, birthmark, blackhead, bleb.
- Useful contrasts: inflammatory lesion, papule, patent pore.
- Usage evidence: Lying on, in, under her, I pore with squinnying eyes on a mole on that browngold rivercolour riverripple skin with its smell of sun, or else a tiny unsqueezed comedo by the flat and splaying nose.
How to use "comedo"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "comedo" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "comedo" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "comedo" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "comedo" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
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- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "comedo" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "acne lesion" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "comedo", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A clogged hair follicle in the skin, formed when keratin combines with oil to block the follicle.
"Lying on, in, under her, I pore with squinnying eyes on a mole on that browngold rivercolour riverripple skin with its smell of sun, or else a tiny unsqueezed comedo by the flat and splaying nose."
- 2 a black-tipped plug clogging a pore of the skin wordnet
Example
"Lying on, in, under her, I pore with squinnying eyes on a mole on that browngold rivercolour riverripple skin with its smell of sun, or else a tiny unsqueezed comedo by the flat and splaying nose."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "comedo"?
Common synonyms include: acne lesion, birthmark, blackhead, bleb, blister, check.
How do you use "comedo" in a sentence?
Lying on, in, under her, I pore with squinnying eyes on a mole on that browngold rivercolour riverripple skin with its smell of sun, or else a tiny unsqueezed comedo by the flat and splaying nose.
How do you pronounce "comedo"?
Pronounced /ˈkɒmədəʊ/.
Etymology
From Latin comedō (“glutton”). Applied to blackheads on account of the popular belief that they were parasitic worms that consumed the host’s nutrients, especially in children, thereby causing weight loss and illness. Compare Danish hudorm (“comedo”, literally “skin-worm”). More information In Johann Heinrich Zedler's universal lexicon, comedo is one of four Latin translations for the entry Mitesser, Zehrwürmer and Dürrmaden, literally "along-eaters", "draining worms" "dry-maggots", which are described as "aschenfarbige oder schwärzlichte Würmlein … sie pflegen in der Haut der jungen Kinder nicht anders als kleine schwarze Härlein zu stecken: und sind eine ordentliche Ursache der Schwindung und Abnehmen der Kinder; Die Kinder schreyen und weinen unter steten Wachen, und denn sagen die Weiber, das Kind sey entweder beschrien, oder habe die Mitesser. Diese Würme kann man aus der Haut locken …", translated: "ash-colored or blackish little worms which are found in the skin of young children with the appearance of tiny black hairs. They are a major cause of children's weight loss; the children cry and scream constantly and won't fall asleep. To this the women say that the child is either cursed or has comedones. These worms can be lured out of the skin." Likewise, in Johann Theodor Jablonski's lexicon from 1721, Latin comedones is found as a translation for Mitesser along vermiculi cutanei, which translates to "skin-worms". Curiously though, this entry provides a sensible explanation: "Sie werden vermuthlich aus einem fette und rohen saffte, so sich von dem geblüt scheidet, und durch die verstopften schweißlöcher nicht ausdämpffen kan, erzeuget", translated: "They are probably produced from fat and a raw humor that separates from the blood and cannot evaporate through the blocked sweat pores." Likewise, the Bartholomaei Castelli Lexicon Medicum Graeco-Latinum from 1713 says the following about comedones: "Comedones etiam appellantur a quibusdam medicis vermiculi illi in dorso infantum & puerorum per poros cutaneos prominentes cum subsequente contabescentia, qui alias dicuntur crinones …", translated: "Comedones are also called, by some physicians, those little worms that can be found in the backs of infants and children, that come forth through the pores of the skin, with a following weight loss. They are elsewhere called crinones.." Likewise, Heinrich Mylich explains in his inaugural dissertation from 1827: "Comedones ita dicti sunt, quod, priusquam Vogel naturam ipsorum diligentius inquireret atque exponeret, opinio invaluerat, eos vivos esse vermiculos, qui victum suum ex hoc morbo afflictis depromerent. Sic quoque putabatur eos atrophiae infantum causam suggerere.", translated: "Comedones are called so because, before Vogel explored their nature thoroughly and wrote about it, the belief had taken roots that they were live worms, living off those who suffer from this disease. They were likewise believed to bring about malnutrition in infants." The superstition in the matter is also shown by this entry in Kaspar von Stieler's Latin lexicon of the German language from 1691: "et böse Dinger dicuntur dracunculi, vermes nimirum infantum alimentum absumentes, quare & alio nomine Miteßer & zehrende Elben …, incubi dicuntur. Suntq(ue) erucae, quae lamiae ex coitu Satanico procreant ac postea per fascinationem in membra hominum immittunt.", translated: "evil things is a name for the dragonlings, that is worms that deprive infants of their nutrients, for which reason they are also called along-eaters and draining sprites, which means incubi. It is also a word for worms (here called erucae) which witches give birth to from satanic union and later on cast into human limbs by witchcraft."