I. blem ‧ ish 1 /ˈblemɪʃ/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
a small mark, especially a mark on someone’s skin or on the surface of an object, that spoils its appearance
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THESAURUS
■ a mark on your skin
▪ blemish a mark on your skin that spoils its appearance:
John grew a beard to hide the blemishes on his chin.
▪ mole a small dark, sometimes raised, mark on your skin:
Some moles may become cancerous.
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Helena found a mole on her arm which had definitely not been there before.
▪ freckles small light brown marks on your skin, especially on your face but also on your arms, shoulders etc:
She had a light sprinkling of freckles across her nose.
▪ birthmark a permanent mark on your skin that you have had since you were born:
There was a small birthmark on her left cheek.
▪ bruise a purple or brown mark on your skin that you get because you have fallen or been hit:
Her legs were covered in cuts and bruises.
▪ scar a permanent mark on your skin, caused by a cut or by something that burns you:
The injury left a small scar on his forehead.
▪ pimple/zit ( also spot British English ) a small raised red mark or lump on your skin, which usually appears when a child is between 12 and 18 years old:
When I was a teenager I had terrible spots.
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The boy had a few pimples under his chin.
▪ wart a small hard raised mark on your skin caused by a virus:
His face was covered in hairy warts.
▪ blister a small area of skin that is swollen and full of liquid because it has been rubbed or burned:
There was a blister on his arm where the boiling milk had splashed him.
▪ rash an area of small red spots on your skin, caused by an illness or an ↑ allergy :
I can’t eat strawberries - they give me a rash.
II. blemish 2 BrE AmE verb [transitive often passive]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: blemir 'to make pale, injure' ]
to spoil the beauty or appearance of something, so that it is not perfect ⇨ unblemished
—blemished adjective