birthmark C2+ Topic:The Human Body US /ˈbɜrθmɑrk/ UK /ˈbɜːθmɑːk/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 noun a permanent colored mark on the skin present from birth A small birthmark in the shape of a crescent dotted her cheek. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 noun · a permanent colored mark on... nevusmoleblemishmark Word family Related forms birthmark Etymology AI details A compound of birth (from Old Norse byrðr / Old English gebyrd) + mark (Old English mearc 'boundary, sign'). byrðr Old Norse mearc Old English View etymology graph -> Topics The Human Body External links Google Images Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary # birthmark **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** noun **IPA (US):** /ˈbɜrθmɑrk/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈbɜːθmɑːk/ ## Meanings 1. a permanent colored mark on the skin present from birth ## Examples - A small birthmark in the shape of a crescent dotted her cheek. ## Synonyms - nevus - mole - blemish - mark ## Related Forms - birth - mark ## Roots and Affixes - Root: byrðr - Root: mearc ## Etymology A compound of birth (from Old Norse byrðr / Old English gebyrd) + mark (Old English mearc 'boundary, sign'). ## AI Etymology Birthmark is a compound of birth (from Old Norse byrðr / Old English gebyrd) + mark (Old English mearc 'boundary, sign'). The historical trail runs through byrðr in Old Norse and mearc in Old English. Morphologically, birthmark is transparent: it is a compound of birth (from Old Norse byrðr / Old English gebyrd) + mark (Old English mearc 'boundary, sign'). Used as a noun, birthmark now means "a permanent colored mark on the skin present from birth", so the present definition can be read against the older forms and meanings. The same lexical family is also visible in related forms such as birth and mark. The result is a borrowed or transmitted form whose modern spelling carries a compact record of its route into English. ## Topics - The Human Body markdown