Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A congenital local discoloration of the skin, including nævus vascularis and nævus pigmentosus. Also called birth-mark, mother's mark, and nævus maternus. Compare mole.
  • noun In zoology, a spot or mark resembling a nævus.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Med.) A spot or mark on the skin of children when born; a birthmark; -- the term includes moles as wells a other types of birthmark, and is most commonly applied to reddish or brownish raised vascular areas of the skin, i. e., those consisting mainly of blood vessels, as dilated arteries, veins, or capillaries.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun anatomy A pigmented, raised or otherwise abnormal area on the skin. Naevi may be congenital or acquired. This term is reserved for benign skin lesions.

Etymologies

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Examples

  • The familiar naevus flammeus front right of the scalp flickered in ads for Pizza Hut and Louis Vuitton.

    The Return Daniel Treisman 2011

  • The familiar naevus flammeus front right of the scalp flickered in ads for Pizza Hut and Louis Vuitton.

    The Return Daniel Treisman 2011

  • The familiar naevus flammeus front right of the scalp flickered in ads for Pizza Hut and Louis Vuitton.

    The Return Daniel Treisman 2011

  • The familiar naevus flammeus front right of the scalp flickered in ads for Pizza Hut and Louis Vuitton.

    The Return Daniel Treisman 2011

  • Shaving the top off a naevus bloodlessly doesn't make any difference to its risk of becoming malignant – infact, it strongly suggests that themole is benign and therefore nothing to worry about.

    Doctor, doctor: Popping pills, plus moles and melanoma 2010

  • A mole is a member the skin blemish, or naevus, family.

    Cigarette Molehill 2010

  • Sometimes the hairy anomalies are but instances of naevus pilosus.

    Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine 1896

  • Ziemssen figures an interesting case of naevus pilosus resembling

    Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine 1896

  • The case was really one of large congenital naevus pilosus and fibroma molluscum combined.

    Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine 1896

  • There was a woman exhibited recently, under the advertisement of "the lady with a mane," who had growing from the center of her back between the shoulders a veritable mane of long, black hair, which doubtless proceeded from a form of naevus.

    Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine 1896

Comments

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  • "'There is a naevus on his shank that we might do well to cauterize against future trouble. Did you remark it?'

    "'Aye, that I did. My wife had the very same, but abune the knee.'"

    —Patrick O'Brian, The Nutmeg of Consolation, 67

    A Sea of Words: A purplish, often raised, congenital skin growth or birthmark; a mole. (307)

    March 6, 2008