wen
Wen (noun) means a harmless cyst or lump under the skin, especially on the scalp. Example: “The old doctor recognized the lump straight away as a simple wen.”
How to use wen
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAn old-fashioned word for a small, harmless lump under the skin.
Largely archaic; modern medical writing prefers "cyst" or "sebaceous cyst."
Word forms
- Plural
- wens
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The old doctor recognized the lump straight away as a simple _____.
Etymology
From Old English wenn, meaning "a wen" or "boil" — an old, mostly informal term rarely used in modern medical writing.