Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A waxy white protective substance consisting of desquamated epithelial cells and sebaceous matter that covers the skin of a fetus.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun In medicine, used in the phrase vernix caseosa, a fatty matter covering the skin of the fetus.

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

  • noun medicine Vernix caseosa; a fatty deposit covering the skin of newborn babies.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a white cheeselike protective material that covers the skin of a fetus

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Short for vernix caseosa.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Medieval Latin vernix ("varnish").

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Examples

Comments

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  • A waxy white protective substance covering the skin of a fetus.

    September 2, 2007

  • "Week 38: Most of the baby's downy hair, lanugo, and whitish coating, vernix, is disappearing."

    WebMD

    October 3, 2007