blackhead

noun

black·head | \ ˈblak-ˌhed

Definition of blackhead

1 : a small plug of darkened sebum and dead skin cells that fills a pore of the skin especially on the face

— called also comedo, open comedo

— compare whitehead

2 : a destructive disease of turkeys and related birds caused by a protozoan (Histomonas meleagridis) that invades the intestinal ceca and liver

3 : a larval clam or mussel attached to the skin or gills of a freshwater fish

Examples of blackhead in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Prescription retinoid products, such as Retin-Acan help with blackheads, Talakoub tells SELF. — Talia Abbas, SELF, "How to Get Rid of Blackheads on Your Nose, Chin and Forehead," 28 Dec. 2018 From the occasional pimple to blackheads littering your nose, there are so many different variations of acne. — Kelsey Castañon, Seventeen, "Everything You Need to Know About Acne — and How to Get Rid of It," 4 Dec. 2018 Wong stands by the effectiveness of pore strips to get rid of blackheads quickly. — Talia Abbas, SELF, "How to Get Rid of Blackheads on Your Nose, Chin and Forehead," 28 Dec. 2018 These transparent acne patches, laced with salicylic acid, can clear up whiteheads and blackheads overnight like actual magic. — Tanisha Pina, Allure, "Dermstore's Anniversary Sale Has Officially Started — And Even Sunday Riley Is on Sale," 9 Aug. 2018 Unfortunately, blind pimples are more difficult to treat than a whitehead or blackhead. — Yerin Kim, Seventeen, "Everything You Need to Know About Blind Pimples," 30 Oct. 2018 What started out as a single video of a blackhead extraction posted on Instagram four years ago quickly turned Dr. Sandra Lee, better known as Dr. Pimple Popper, into a viral sensation. — Michelle Gant, Fox News, "Dr. Pimple Popper shares what actually grosses her out, plus the strangest request she's ever gotten," 24 Aug. 2018 Mainly because there are two categories of breakouts: non-inflammatory (think whiteheads and blackheads) and inflammatory (pustules/zits, nodules, and cysts). — Molly Nover-baker, Redbook, "How to Get Rid of Annoying Acne, So You Don't Have to Feel Like a Miserable Teenager," 27 Dec. 2016 But that still leaves blackheads and pimples, which are sometimes too tempting to ignore. — Courtney Dunlop, Marie Claire, "DIY Derm: Which Beauty and Skincare Treatments Are Okay to Do at Home?," 30 Aug. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'blackhead.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near blackhead

black-headed grosbeak

Statistics for blackhead

Last Updated

3 Feb 2019

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Time Traveler for blackhead

The first known use of blackhead was circa 1837

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More Definitions for blackhead

blackhead

noun

English Language Learners Definition of blackhead

: a small, inflamed area on the skin with a dark spot in the middle

See the full definition for blackhead in the English Language Learners Dictionary

blackhead

noun

black·head | \ ˈblak-ˌhed

Kids Definition of blackhead

: a darkened bit of oily material blocking a pore in the skin

blackhead

noun

black·head | \ ˈblak-ˌhed

Medical Definition of blackhead

1 : a small plug of sebum blocking the duct of a sebaceous gland especially on the face — compare milium

2 : a destructive disease of turkeys and related birds caused by a protozoan of the genus Histomonas (H. meleagridis) that invades the intestinal ceca and liver

— called also enterohepatitis, histomoniasis, infectious enterohepatitis