blotch
/blɒtʃ
/noun
A large irregular patch or unsightly mark on the skin or another surface: red blotches on her face...
- He could have been lying on his naked belly in the grass by now with the sun painting red blotches on his freckled skin, while little bugs tickled between his toes.
- Men often seek to have unsightly hair or skin blotches removed.
- Frankie's first indication of the condition was the appearance of red blotches and flaking skin on his chest, forehead and scalp.
Synonyms
patch, smudge, pop, dot, spot, speck, speckle;
blot, stain, smear, streak, dab, daub, splash
informal splotch, splodge
rash, blemish, spot, freckle, birthmark, strawberry mark, port wine stain, eruption;
patch, mark, discoloration
technical naevus, haemangioma
verb [with object]
Cover with blotches: her face was blotched and swollen with crying...
- Neon ooze blotched the frilled fabric and streaked her hair, and blood stained the edges of cuts in the material, though the cuts in the underlying flesh had long since closed.
- ‘I thought you loved me,’ she whispered, her tears blotching the ink on the paper into little blue snowflakes.
- With fear blotching my heart, I backed away from him and went to my room, to change.
Synonyms
spot, mark, speck, speckle, smudge, smear, streak, blemish, cover with blotches
Derivatives
blotchiness
/ noun ...- The blotchiness around the cheeks has gone but there's something else.
- This causes skin to age prematurely, with effects including roughening, blotchiness, sagging and wrinkles.
- The newest facials not only pamper, but also effectively fight signs of sun damage (think: blotchiness, rough patches and fine lines).
Origin
Early 17th century (as a verb): partly an alteration of obsolete plotch in the same sense (of unknown origin), influenced by blot; partly a blend of blot and botch.