Scar

Scar

Noun / verb · /skɑː/ · a mark left on skin or a surface after a wound heals; to mark permanently

Definition

A scar is the mark that remains on skin or tissue after a wound, burn, or sore has healed. It forms when the body repairs damaged tissue by producing collagen fibres, which are denser and less flexible than normal skin. Scars can also form on surfaces beyond the human body — a scar on a tree from a lightning strike, a scar on a landscape from erosion. As a verb, to scar means to leave such a permanent mark, either physically or emotionally.

Origin

Scar derives from Old French escare and Latin eschara, meaning scab or scorch mark from a brand. The Latin came from Greek eskhara, meaning hearth, fireplace, or the mark left by a brand or burn. The word entered Middle English in the fourteenth century. Its emotional and metaphorical sense — a scar on one's memory or psyche — developed naturally from the physical meaning and is now equally common in modern usage.