freckle

== English == === Etymology === From Middle English freken, frekel, from Old Norse freknur pl (compare Faroese frøknur, Swedish fräknar, Danish fregner), s-less variant of Old English sprecel from Proto-Germanic *sprekalą (“freckle”) (compare dialectal Norwegian sprekla, Middle High German spreckel), from Proto-Indo-European *sp(h)er(e)g- (“to strew, sprinkle”). Cognate with Albanian fruth (“measles”). More at spark. Related to spry, sprack. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈfɹɛkəl/ Rhymes: -ɛkəl === Noun === freckle (plural freckles) A small brownish or reddish pigmentation spot on the surface of the skin. c. 1920s-1930s, Charlotte Druitt Cole, Runaway Jane: The rabbits came out from their burrows to peep, / The wind whispered, "Hush! little Jane's gone to sleep!" / And the spiders came spinning a curtain of lace, / Lest the sun should make freckles on Jane's pretty face. Any small spot or discoloration. (Australia) A small sweet consisting of a flattish mound of chocolate covered in hundreds and thousands. (Australia, slang) The anus. ==== Synonyms ==== ephelis lentigo ==== Coordinate terms ==== beauty mark dirt sun kiss ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Verb === freckle (third-person singular simple present freckles, present participle freckling, simple past and past participle freckled) (transitive) To cover with freckles. (intransitive) To become covered with freckles. ==== Derived terms ==== freckle up ==== Related terms ==== freckled freckleface freckly ==== Translations ==== === Anagrams === flecker