freckle

UK: /ˈfrɛk^əl/ US: /ˈfrɛkəl/ ,(frek′əl)

Inflections of 'freckle' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

freckles

v 3rd person singular

freckling

v pres p

freckled

v past

freckled

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

freck•le /ˈfrɛkəl/   n., v., -led, -ling. 
n. [countable]

1. Anatomy a small brownish spot on the skin that may darken on exposure to sunlight.

v. 

2. to (cause to) be covered with freckles: [no object]
   She freckles easily.
   [~ + object]
   The sun freckled his skin.

freck•ly, adj., -li•er, -li•est. 

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

freck•le  (frek′əl), n., v., -led, -ling. 
n. 

1. Anatomy one of the small, brownish spots on the skin that are caused by deposition of pigment and that increase in number and darken on exposure to sunlight;
   lentigo.
2. any small spot or discoloration:
   freckles of paint spattered on the floor.

v.t. 

3. to cover with freckles;
   produce freckles on.

v.i. 

4. to become freckled.

• Old Norse *frekna; compare freknōttr speckled, Norwegian, Icelandic frekna, Swedish fräkna freckle) and speckle (noun, nominal)
• blend of, blended obsolete frecken freckle (Middle English frekne 1350–1400

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

freckle / ˈfrɛk^əl/ noun

1. a small brownish spot on the skin: a localized deposit of the pigment melanin, developed by exposure to sunlight
2. any small area of discoloration; a spot

verb

1. to mark or become marked with freckles or spots

Etymology: 14th Century: from Old Norse freknur freckles; related to Swedish fräkne, Danish fregne

ˈfreckled, ˈfreckly adjective