blackhead
blackhead Lexical Profile
blackhead Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A small, dark-tipped plug of sebum and dead skin cells blocking a hair follicle or skin pore, especially on the face.
"The dermatologist recommended a gentle salicylic acid cleanser to help clear up the stubborn blackheads on his nose."
A contagious and often fatal parasitic disease affecting the liver and intestines of turkeys and other gallinaceous birds, caused by the protozoan Histomonas meleagridis.
"Poultry farmers avoid housing turkeys and chickens together to prevent the spread of blackhead across the flock."
Any of several birds having black plumage on the head, especially the scaup duck (genus Aythya) of North America and Eurasia or the Eurasian blackcap.
"A flock of migrating blackheads settled onto the calm waters of the coastal bay for the winter."
Word Origin & Etymology
A compound formed in English from "black" and "head." The dermatological sense was recorded in the late 19th century, referring to the oxidized, dark-colored tip of the blocked skin pore, while the ornithological sense dates back to the 17th century.