pock·mark
ˈpäk-ˌmärk 
: a mark, pit, or depressed scar caused by smallpox or acne
also
: an imperfection or depression like a pockmark
pockmarked; pockmarking; pockmarks
Synonyms
Examples of pockmark in a Sentence
Noun
The bullets left pockmarks in the wall.
the explosion left little pockmarks all over the face of the adjacent building
Recent Examples on the Web
Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 9 Dec. 2016
The fossil record tells us — via distinctive Osedax burrows that pockmark bone — that whale fall communities have been around for 30 million years.
—Riley Black, Discover Magazine, 11 Dec. 2013
Taylor did fumble on his final carry, a pockmark on an otherwise solid day, but Indianapolis stuck to the run despite the early struggles, and eventually overpowered a hapless Houston front.
—Joel A. Erickson, The Indianapolis Star, 6 Dec. 2021
Worthy’s fumble was the lone pockmark on an otherwise pristine day.
—Nick Moyle, San Antonio Express-News, 13 Oct. 2021
The Patriots released kicker Justin Rohrwasser this past week, leaving another pockmark on Bill Belichick’s draft record.
—BostonGlobe.com, 27 Mar. 2021
Smaller collisions occur more often, so the pattern of pockmarks on Ryugu could have been produced in just nine million years.
—Kenneth Chang, New York Times, 23 Mar. 2020
One-time pollution episodes left further pockmarks in the nation’s mussel beds.
—Marion Renault, Wired, 18 Apr. 2020
The pop-up camera gave you a front camera without any screen blemishes at all, and now OnePlus has downgraded with a pockmark in the top-left corner of the phone.
—Ron Amadeo, Ars Technica, 14 Apr. 2020
Alicia Wallace, CNN, 24 May 2023
The first in 70 years, when Charles' late mother became queen at time when Britain was still emerging from the ravages of World War II; when butter, sugar, cheese and meat were all still rationed; when British towns and cities were still pockmarked by bomb sites.
—Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 7 May 2023
The road was often pockmarked with muddy tractor tracks and clumps of hay and manure.
—Pamela Wright, BostonGlobe.com, 4 May 2023
Just then, a light drizzle fell from the sky, pockmarking the river and spotting the ferry platform on the other shore.
—Jason Horowitz, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2023
Relentless rain left the streets of Los Angeles pockmarked with potholes, but city officials say some relief is on the way.
—Kenya Romero, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2023
So perhaps us coastal elites — with our credit card bills pockmarked by a dozen different streaming service charges — ought to give a few of these firefighting shows a whirl.
—Luke Winkie, Rolling Stone, 19 Mar. 2023
Snyder runs Southeast Community Development Corp., a nonprofit trying to boost homeownership rates in Ellwood Park, a predominantly Black neighborhood where just a quarter of residents own their homes and the blocks are pockmarked with vacant houses.
—Giacomo Bologna, Baltimore Sun, 13 Mar. 2023
Shockwaves can flatten walls, rather than just pockmarking them.
—David Hambling, Popular Mechanics, 24 Feb. 2023
Noun
Anecdotal evidence is not sufficient to make a case because there are several other diseases, like chicken pox and the measles, that leave characteristic pockmark scars in their wake as well.
—Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 9 Dec. 2016
The fossil record tells us — via distinctive Osedax burrows that pockmark bone — that whale fall communities have been around for 30 million years.
—Riley Black, Discover Magazine, 11 Dec. 2013
Taylor did fumble on his final carry, a pockmark on an otherwise solid day, but Indianapolis stuck to the run despite the early struggles, and eventually overpowered a hapless Houston front.
—Joel A. Erickson, The Indianapolis Star, 6 Dec. 2021
Worthy’s fumble was the lone pockmark on an otherwise pristine day.
—Nick Moyle, San Antonio Express-News, 13 Oct. 2021
The Patriots released kicker Justin Rohrwasser this past week, leaving another pockmark on Bill Belichick’s draft record.
—BostonGlobe.com, 27 Mar. 2021
Smaller collisions occur more often, so the pattern of pockmarks on Ryugu could have been produced in just nine million years.
—Kenneth Chang, New York Times, 23 Mar. 2020
One-time pollution episodes left further pockmarks in the nation’s mussel beds.
—Marion Renault, Wired, 18 Apr. 2020
The pop-up camera gave you a front camera without any screen blemishes at all, and now OnePlus has downgraded with a pockmark in the top-left corner of the phone.
—Ron Amadeo, Ars Technica, 14 Apr. 2020
Verb
Navy Griffin, a 2020 college graduate from Arkansas whose early career has been pockmarked by negative and historic economic developments, frets about another setback.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN, 24 May 2023
The first in 70 years, when Charles' late mother became queen at time when Britain was still emerging from the ravages of World War II; when butter, sugar, cheese and meat were all still rationed; when British towns and cities were still pockmarked by bomb sites.
—Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 7 May 2023
The road was often pockmarked with muddy tractor tracks and clumps of hay and manure.
—Pamela Wright, BostonGlobe.com, 4 May 2023
Just then, a light drizzle fell from the sky, pockmarking the river and spotting the ferry platform on the other shore.
—Jason Horowitz, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2023
Relentless rain left the streets of Los Angeles pockmarked with potholes, but city officials say some relief is on the way.
—Kenya Romero, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2023
So perhaps us coastal elites — with our credit card bills pockmarked by a dozen different streaming service charges — ought to give a few of these firefighting shows a whirl.
—Luke Winkie, Rolling Stone, 19 Mar. 2023
Snyder runs Southeast Community Development Corp., a nonprofit trying to boost homeownership rates in Ellwood Park, a predominantly Black neighborhood where just a quarter of residents own their homes and the blocks are pockmarked with vacant houses.
—Giacomo Bologna, Baltimore Sun, 13 Mar. 2023
Shockwaves can flatten walls, rather than just pockmarking them.
—David Hambling, Popular Mechanics, 24 Feb. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pockmark.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near pockmark
Cite this Entry
“Pockmark.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pockmark. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pockmark
1 of 2 noun
pock·mark
ˈpäk-ˌmärk
: the scar caused by smallpox or acne
also
: an imperfection suggesting a pockmark
pockmark
2 of 2 verb
: to cover with or as if with pockmarks
Medical Definition
pockmark
noun
pock·mark
ˈpäk-ˌmärk
: a mark, pit, or depressed scar caused by smallpox or acne
pockmarked
adjective
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