Skin problems, swellings and injuries
abrasion
noun
an injured area of skin on your body, caused by your skin rubbing hard against something
abscess
noun
a painful swollen area on your skin or inside your body that is infected and filled with pus (=unpleasant yellow liquid)
bedsore
noun
a red painful area on your skin that you get from lying in one position in bed for a long time
black eye
noun
a dark mark that forms on the skin around your eye as a result of being hit
blackhead
noun
a small black spot on your skin, caused by dirt or oil blocking a pore (=one of the small holes in your skin)
blemish
noun
a mark on someone’s skin, such as a spot or a scar
blister
noun
a swollen area on your skin that is full of a clear liquid and is caused by being burned or rubbed
blotch
noun
a coloured mark on something, especially a red mark on your skin
boil
noun
a painful lump on your skin that has become infected and is filled with pus (=an unpleasant yellow liquid)
break out
if something such as spots break out, or if you break out in spots, spots start to appear on your skin
breakout
noun
an appearance of spots on your skin
bring out in
to make particular marks appear on someone’s skin
bruise
noun
a mark that you get on your body if you are hit or if you knock against something
bump
noun
a raised part on your skin where you have been injured
bunion
noun
a painful swollen area on the side of your big toe
burn
noun
an injury that you get when something burns your skin
callus
noun
a hard thick area of skin caused by rubbing, especially on your hands or feet
chap
verb
if your skin chaps, or if it is chapped, it becomes dry and painful, especially because of cold weather
chilblain
noun
a painful swollen lump on a finger or toe, usually in cold weather
clear
verb
if your skin clears, it starts to become smooth and healthy again
cold sore
noun
a sore area near your lips that is caused by an infection
contusion
noun
a blue or purple mark on your skin where you have been hit
corn
noun
a small piece of hard skin on your foot that is painful
cut
noun
an injury on your skin where something sharp has cut it
cyst
noun
a lump containing liquid that grows under your skin or inside your body
dandruff
noun
small white pieces of dry skin in your hair
dermatitis
noun
a medical condition in which parts of your skin become red and sore or covered in spots
eczema
noun
a medical condition that makes your skin dry, sore, and itchy
erupt
verb
if spots erupt on your skin, a lot of them suddenly appear there
fever blister
noun
a cold sore
flash burn
noun
a burn caused by being near sudden strong heat, for example during an explosion
flesh wound
noun
an injury that cuts your skin but does not affect your bones or important organs
ganglion
noun
a painful lump full of liquid on your skin, often on the back of the wrist
gash
noun
a long deep cut in your skin or in the surface of something
graze
noun
a break in the surface of your skin, usually caused by falling down
haematoma
noun
a soft lump in the tissues of the body consisting of blood that has become thick and stopped flowing
hangnail
noun
a painful piece of loose skin at the side of a nail
head
noun
the white centre of a spot on your skin
heat rash
noun
painful or itchy red spots on your skin that are caused by getting too hot
hematoma
noun
the American spelling of haematoma
irritation
noun
a painful feeling in a part of the body, often with red skin or swelling
itch
noun
an unpleasant feeling on your skin that makes you want to scratch it (=rub it with your nails)
laceration
noun
a deep cut in someone’s flesh
lesion
noun
an area of damaged skin. A more usual word is wound.
liver spot
noun
a brown spot that people often get on their skin as they become older
lump
noun
a small hard part on or under your skin that is caused by illness or injury
mark
noun
an area of colour on something such as a person’s or animal’s skin that is different in colour from the rest
nappy rash
noun
sore, broken skin that is usually caused by wearing a wet nappy for too long
pimple
noun
a small red lump on your skin, especially on your face
plantar wart
noun
a verruca
pockmark
noun
a small permanent mark on your skin that goes inwards, caused by a disease such as chickenpox or acne
prickly heat
noun
a skin condition in which you get very small red spots that you want to rub, caused by hot weather
pustule
noun
a spot on your skin that is filled with liquid
rash
noun
an area of small red spots on your skin, caused by an illness or an allergic reaction to something that you have touched, eaten etc
running sore
noun
a painful infected part of your body that has pus coming out of it
scab
noun
a hard layer of dry blood that forms when a cut on your skin is getting better
scald
noun
a burn on your skin caused by very hot liquid or steam
scar
noun
a permanent mark on your skin where you have been injured
scratch
noun
a cut on the surface of your skin
sore
noun
a small painful area of skin that is injured or infected
spot
noun
a very small red lump on someone’s face
spot
noun
a small red mark that you get on your skin if you have a disease such as measles or chickenpox
sunburn
noun
the condition of having red sore skin that is caused by staying in the sun for too long
swelling
noun
an area of your body that has increased in size as a result of an injury or an illness
verruca
noun
a type of wart on the bottom of your foot
wart
noun
a small hard lump that grows on your skin, for example on your neck or hand, and is caused by a virus
weal
noun
a mark on the skin where it has been hit or injured
welt
noun
a red raised area on the skin caused by injury or illness
wound
noun
an injury in which your skin or flesh is damaged, usually seriously. When a wound gets better it heals
zit
noun
a small raised infected mark on your face
go on the offensive
to begin to attack or criticize someone who you think is attacking you