The Wonderful World Of Words, 4/1/17

in #writing8 years ago

Birthmarks are called voglie in Italian, antojos in Spanish, and wiham in Arabic; all of which translate to "wishes" because, according to folklore, they are caused by unsatisfied wishes of the mother during pregnancy.


--https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birthmark#Folklore





DEFINITION:

Noun
A birthmark or mole

SYNONYMS:

Blemish
Beauty mark/spot

ETYMOLOGY/ORIGIN:

Latin (naevus, "mole, birthmark")

PRONUNCIATION:

[nē'vŭs]
pl. [nē'vī]
LISTEN

SCRABBLE SCORE:

9

USAGE AND EXAMPLES

A NAEVUS is a benign proliferation of one or more of the normal constituent cells of the skin. Naevi may be present at birth or may develop later.

--Dermatology: An Illustrated Colour Text
by David Gawkrodger, Michael R. Ardern-Jones, 2016

The way one is tempted to attack the NAEVUS is by searing the top of it by rubbing the cautery over it. By rubbing the cautery over the top of the naevus you will give it a brown discoloration, and it will look as if the tissue had been destroyed; but if you stop at that point you will find that in a few days the burnt crust will come away and there will be remaining a NAEVUS apparently unaltered, and the process all has to be done over again.

--The Clinical Journal, Volume 20,
Edward Knight, 1902






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*unless otherwise noted, all images are in the public domain and/or original

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Wow, I thought it meant clean-shavened or no hair.

She took off her clothes and revealed her naevus .........................................body.

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