Vernix

//ˈvɝnɪks// noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Vernix caseosa; a fatty deposit covering the skin of newborn babies. uncountable

    "The cheesy stuff is called vernix, and it's a natural moisturizer that protects the baby's skin while she's in the womb."

  2. 2
    a white cheeselike protective material that covers the skin of a fetus wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
vernix caseosa

Example

More examples

"The cheesy stuff is called vernix, and it's a natural moisturizer that protects the baby's skin while she's in the womb."

Etymology

Derived from Medieval Latin vernix (“varnish”).

Related phrases

vernix caseosa

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.